Having Style

Part Three

Overwhelmed by it all, he shook his head and softly said, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”

In spite of being confused and uncertain of his state of mind, Jeannette made a snap decision. She entered the yard and took him by the arm and led him into the house. “It’s going to be okay. You need to sit down and relax and you can tell me what’s troubling you.”

Inside the house, she led Casey to a chair and put some water on for tea. He watched her moving about with a familiarity that told him it wasn’t the first time she had been in his home and that she must have been a friend to be so acquainted with things. But try as he might, he just couldn’t recall who she was, which only served to perplex him all the more.

When the tea was made, Jeannette sat down and waited for him to start talking. Knowing Casey was deeply troubled, she felt it best if she just let him talk when he felt okay to do so. She reasoned that if she peppered him with questions he would only get more agitated and make him worse. She wondered if he had banged his head or possibly suffered a stroke of some sort. Whatever it was, she was worried for him.

At first, Casey sipped his tea and didn’t offer a word. He was having a difficult time trying to understand what had happened, never mind trying to explain it to the woman sitting next to him. How would it sound? Would she think him crazy? Did it matter being he didn’t know who she was anyway? Question upon question flowed in and out of his thoughts and none of them seemed to have had an answer.

He looked at Jeannette who was waiting patiently and said, “You’re going to think I’m crazy but what I’m about to tell you is the truth.”

Jeannette had no way of knowing of what was coming next but to her credit, she nodded and showed no signs of nervousness.

Casey held the cup in both hands took a sip of tea and began telling her all of what had happened, right up to the minute she had appeared. As he spoke, he noticed different expressions wash over her and although he wondered what she was thinking, he kept going until he finished. He set the cup down and looked at her.

Of all the things Jeannette had thought he might possibly say, she never once considered what she had just heard. She knew he was waiting for a response and truth be told, she didn’t know what to say. Her first instincts were that he was indeed crazy, yet there was something in his words and tone of voice that beckoned just the opposite. Besides, she had never known him to be eccentric or foolish. Something definitely had happened to him, but was it at all conceivable it was as he said, and if so, it would mean he lived in a different time and she wasn’t part of his life. That would at least explain his not knowing her when she had approached him.

Casey cleared his throat. “Well?”

“It’s a lot to digest.”

“Do you think I’m crazy? That my cheese has slipped off the cracker?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t think that at all.”

“What do you think?”

She searched his eyes and realized that as bizarre as his story was, it was the truth as he knew it. “I have to be honest in saying that it does sound unbelievable at first, but I do believe you.”

He lowered his eyes and sighed heavily. “Thank you.”

She reached out and placed her hand on the back of his. “It’s going to be okay. We just have to figure out what has happened and try to find the way to reverse it.”

As she sincerely spoke the words, the thought of losing him pained her heart. She had been in love with him for a long time and now he needed her and she had to do all she could to help him, even if it meant his leaving her.

Casey stared at her. He had no idea who she was but felt tremendously relieved that he wasn’t alone and that someway or somehow, she would help him return to his life. As he pondered this, he was filled with many questions. Was he suffering from some kind of stroke? Was it a strange case of amnesia? Had he been living a dual life? Why couldn’t he remember? All questions with no answers.

“Do you have any idea what we should do?” Jeannette’s question pulled him back to the moment.

Casey forced himself to concentrate before answering. “I’m not sure,” he finally stated.

“How about we go back to the beginning?” she offered, hoping her suggestion would be helpful. “Maybe there’s something there that will give us a clue.”

  (continued) 
  Chelle Munroe© 
  April 9, 2015