Excerpt: Curious and Unusual Tales

(An excerpt from Curious and Unusual Tales)

Everything on Schedule

Millie stood at the front door with her Manny right beside her. “Sorry, inspector. We never know where Mister Madison is off to next. He has always traveled a lot, you know.” It had been two months since their boss was last seen. They felt they had to report him missing.
“He’s been such a blessing to this house and grounds,” Manny added, “and a good man to work for.”
“You’ve worked for him for many years, you say?”
“Yes, sir,” she quickly added. “Manny and I take care of him. I cook his meals, do the mending and clean house. Manny tends the garden and is always fixing something, painting or chopping fire wood. It is an old house and rests on old grounds. You need to know inspector; the master is a bit absent-minded. He could have gone to many different places. We can’t tell you exactly where he might be.”
“We’re checking the hospitals and airports, and taking all that into account, ma’am. We’ll keep looking and let you know.”
As the inspector turned away, she thought about the life they had lived with their boss. First, everything had its schedule. Breakfast always at 8:00, lunch at 1:00, tea at 4:00, and supper precisely at 8:00 pm. Mondays she did the washing and Manny did the gardening. Tuesdays and Thursdays, she went shopping and Manny watered the grounds. Wednesdays she thoroughly cleaned the house. Everything has its place and she kept the house in top shape. Friday, Manny and she took the day off, and Saturday she baked. Sunday is church, and then she did her hand sewing and Manny raked the leaves. Yes, everything had a schedule, and every week it was the same. For seventeen years it had been the same. Something was bound to happen.
Two months before, she had gone shopping. The rats were making homes in the walls, so she bought some poison. The next day while she cleaned the house, she heard Manny chopping out by the shed. Thursday, she went shopping again and bought a new dress and hat. Manny was gardening as usual when she came home. He was turning fresh dirt for the new planting season. Friday, they went to the picture show, ran a few errands, and ate at their favorite local diner. Saturday, she baked a chocolate cake and a peach pie.
A month after the inspector visited, they called him and told him that a cable had come from an old army buddy of Mister Madison who lived in Africa. It said that their employer had died of malaria, and a date was given. Busy with new cases, the inspector seemed to think that was enough to close the case. He never even asked to see the cable.
Sunday Millie and Manny went to church as usual, then came home. They had some pie and tea. They sat at the kitchen window that looked out over the backyard.
“The garden’s looking mighty good, Manny, so full of color with all those flowers in bloom. That new fertilizer really did the trick.” They smiled tenderly at one another, knowing they were the inheritors of the house and that beautiful garden.