Francis Meyrick

Jessica is not coming to play today

credits: Evangelis ( “Missing you “)
frenzfrenz (YouTube)

Thursday, March 8th 2007

I guess this is not a good morning for me.
Oh, the sun is shining. I’m home, for a week off. In my comfortable house. With the dogs lying around outside, contentedly dozing in the sun. I hear the busy sounds of wifey in the kitchen. Preparing dinner. Soon she will come in, with her happy smile. And I, delighted to be home after work, will smile back. We shall chatter, and talk about trivia. We shall joke, and laugh at the drakes chasing the ducks. And the little one-eyed stray kitten, which has kindly adopted us, and condescended to grace our company.
Rolling on its back, whopping its paws at imaginary flies.
But it’s not a good morning for me.
Oh, I have interesting projects to get back to. We’re fencing the front yard, so we can have more grazing for the ducks. It’s a milestone project, as I have not done much fencing. It probably shows in the work done to date. But I’m trying hard to make it look good. I’m reasonably proud of what we have done so far.
But it’s not a good morning for me.
I should reconcile the bank statements. I have taken a loan from my 401(K) to pay off the credit cards. It will be satisfying to get rid of those interest payments, which are not tax deductable, and represent waste. After that, we are determined to live within our means, and avoid any credit card debt. It’s a topical subject. It’s on television. The politicians, lapping up the public attention, lawyers mostly, who thrive on standing on the great stage of their own inflated self importance… they have now another crusade to gather votes with. Look at me! See how good I am! I’ll tackle the big bad credit card companies!
Vote for me! I’m a wonderful person!
The window dressing will go on for a few weeks, a month or two at the most, the credit card companies will summon their brightest minds for their own window dressing, and in two months or so everything will be back to normal. Small people will still get screwed. The weak, the uneducated, the unwise, will receive lurid credit card offers through the mail. They will be unable to resist. Something for the children perhaps. A one-off special need. And before they know it, that six thousand dollar debt is ramped up to eighteen thousand dollars. With a penalty interest rate of twenty five per cent. It’s like taking a drowning man and throwing rocks at his head. But that is modern America. Where the rich get richer, every day. The poor get poorer. And the middle class, its buying power steadily eroding as the years go by, is being squeezed for profit and taxes as never before. Yes, these are the issues that matter, are they not? This is what occupies our minds. I sit back in my chair, try to enjoy a cup of tea, and look out the window. One of our Guinea Fowl comes flying around the corner of the house, with three others in hot pursuit. Moving at light speed it seems, the hunted one disappears under the house, with her pursuers close behind her. If they catch her, they will beat her up. It seems nature does that. The strong picking on the weak. Tormenting them. Making their short lives a holy misery.
Yes, I’m home. I love home.
But it’s not a good morning for me.
Why?
Because, my friends, Jessica is not coming home today.
How she would have enjoyed our little one-eyed kitten. They would have played together, in the sun. And she would have enjoyed our ducks. The beautiful white Peking drakes, with their shiny yellow bills. Our miniature horse, Buckie, with his long mane and winter woollies, would have ambled into view, and with a shriek of delight, Jessica would have run over to the fence, her long hair trailing behind her. She would have rubbed his nose, and fed him baby carrots. She would have laughed, and talked to him. And Buckie, a spoiled, mischievous creature, would have devoured every last one with relish, pausing only to take a quick nip at Gertie, short for “Gertrud “, our ever-comical pigmy goat. Gertie, for her part, her short tail wagging excitedly, would come over at a pygmy gallop, her fat belly swinging dangerously from side to side. Her bright eyes, ever friendly, would have sized up Jessica in an instant. And seen a friend. A harmless human being. Nothing to be afraid off…
No, it’s not a good morning for me.
Jessica is not coming to play today.
Another human being raped her repeatedly, he hurt her, and he beat her. He laughed at her little screams. He enjoyed it. Then he buried her in two plastic trash bags, along with her favorite toy, a stuffed dolphin.

Jessica Lunsford is not coming to play today.

Not Ever Again…

Last edited by Francis Meyrick on December 28, 2008, 10:57 am