Chili
(a true story - the names have been changed)
In 1815 along the winding Credit River Amaziah Church founded ChurchvilleA sleepy hamlet in from the main road and nothing much has changed in 200 years
I’ll concede that a few remarkable things have happened in its history
In the 1970’s a fridge with a dead body inside went floating by
but that’s not the story I want to tell
It’s about chili and suicide
There was a lady who had lived in Churchville all of her life in a small house on a short road
She raised a family in that house and all of us with children know how busy and quickly that time goes by
Now it was time for her daughter Kim to get married to a handsome funny fellow named Sam from the States and move into their house - away from her childhood home
It was hard for Sam to juggle things
A new wife and his mother prone to bouts of deep depression but I have a feeling that like many young people he didn’t fully grasp the seriousness of his mother’s illness
When a few years had passed a house became available nearly across the road from her mother’s and both of them were very excited
They put in an offer
The offer was accepted and the couple started gathering friends to help them move
This was a dream come true, Churchville is a little oasis in an ever encroaching city
And if they ever had children, Kim’s mother was more than willing to help
Sam’s mother was excited for them as well and told them both to be sure that they brought everyone over after the move for a late supper
They said “yeah okay mom, sounds great” and off they went
It was a long day, it was hot, they worked very hard
They found out that the old lady that they had bought their house from neglected to tell them one detail
It was riddled with cockroaches, how could they have not known?
Well, beer passed around, boxes were moved and I’m not privy to the middle of this story just the end
They forgot
A few day’s had passed and Sam hadn’t heard from his mother
He tried her by phone and got no answer
A strange feeling that Kim and Sam could not identify made them get in their car and push the speed limit all the way to her house
The door was locked, but no matter Sam had his key
They went in the back way through the kitchen and there stood a full pot of chili on the stove
The stove was off but where was mom?
A frantic search found Sam’s mom on the couch face down and very cold
it was typical death
Half empty bottles of booze and an emptied prescription bottle
There was no need for a suicide note because it would have simply asked
Why didn’t you come?
