I have had some requests to post more of my poetry, so here goes.
There is a bit of a background story to this one. And a lot of ‘what if’s’. I’ll talk about the ‘what if’s’ later. A few years ago, upon arriving home from work one Friday evening in March, I noticed that I only had one headlight. On Saturday evening Mom and I were going to a concert. I thought about going in town on Saturday morning, to get the bulb replaced, but I decided I wouldn’t bother with it until Monday when I went to work. My workplace had a mechanic and I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to replace it. I decided through the night that I would go in town on Saturday to have the headlight fixed. I was going to be travelling on back roads, going to the concert, and wanted to be sure I had the best vision possible. I also thought, with my luck, that I would likely be stopped by the RCMP and fined if I tried driving with only one headlight. I woke up early, because I wanted to get into town and back quickly. I put on a heavy burgundy winter jacket, but when I went outside I found it was very warm, so I changed to a black vest. At the last minute Mom suggested getting batteries, because the time was changing soon and she didn’t have enough for the clocks and smoke detectors. Since the time wasn’t changing that weekend, I told her I really didn’t want to spend anymore time in town than I had to, and I’d pick them up on a lunch break the following week.
My plan was to pick up the bulb, stop by my workplace to see if the mechanic happened to be working on Saturday, and have him replace it. And that is exactly what I did. It took no time to have my headlight back in operation and I could head home. Since it didn’t take long, I decided at the last minute, to go to Walmart to pick up the batteries Mom wanted. There were very few cars in the parking lot. As I got out of my car, a man emerged from a red car and started to approach me. I was taken aback, as he came directly towards me and appeared upset. He said ‘can you help me? My wife has gone and I don’t know where she is.’ I’m sure my face had a look of confusion. Then he continued. He pointed to the opposite end of the mall and said ‘she went that way. She’s gone. I don’t know where she went.’. As he spoke he was becoming more agitated. I explained that nothing was open in the mall but Walmart, and not to worry she would be back. I offered to check Walmart to see if I could find her. I asked him what her name was. He said ‘her name is Mildred.’ I asked what she was wearing. He said ‘a coat of, of….’ and he then reached out and touched my vest and said ‘a coat of this colour’. I encouraged him to get back in the car to wait for her, while I went in the store. I told him if I didn’t find her I’d come back to help him. He got back in the red car and I went into Walmart and looked around. There were not too many people inside, as it was still early. I went up and down the aisles, but I didn’t see anyone who I thought would be Mildred. The people were either much younger than I would have thought Mildred to be, or not wearing anything close to black. I picked up the batteries, before checking the aisles again. At the end of one of the last aisles I saw a lady that could possibly be Mildred. She looked to be the age I thought she might be, but she was wearing a coat of navy blue. I had nothing to lose and went up to her and asked if her name was Mildred. She smiled and said ‘no. My name is Jean.’ I apologized for interrupting her and said that I was trying to help a man find his wife. I briefly explained, and her face dropped. She asked me if he was sitting in a red car. I said he was. She said ‘that’s my husband’. She abandoned her shopping cart and rushed towards the exit, as I went to the cash. As she exited, she looked back and said ‘thank you. Thank you so much’.
When I got home I wrote this in about 15 minutes.
He Didn't Know Her Name Can you help me please? I've lost my wife. I saw her walking, she's my whole life. Bring her back, I'll wait right here. She's wearing a black coat, I know she's there. Her name is Mildred, I love her so. Why did she leave me? Where did she go? I strolled the aisles, no one to find. I searched and searched, she must be kind. I saw a lady, in my view. But she wore a coat of navy blue. This could be her, I have a task. Is your name Mildred, I have to ask. No it's not, her smile so warm My name is Jean, she did inform. I said a husband has lost his wife. He's in the parking lot, she's his life. Her face was stricken, I read the fear. "Is he in a red car? I parked so near." I said he was, it might be him She said his mind is growing dim. She thanked me so and rushed outside. I felt her pain, I could have cried. Such a pity, no one to blame How sad he didn't know her name. ~Hughena MacDougall March 2014
Now the ‘what if’s’. What if the headlight didn’t burn out? What if I hadn’t noticed the headlight? What if I stuck with my first plan to have it replaced the following week? What if I hadn’t changed from a burgundy coat to a black vest? What if I hadn’t stopped for the batteries? What if I had ignored the man? What if I hadn’t looked for his wife?
I have wondered about this couple ever since. What became of him and his illness? Obviously he probably didn’t get better. Did his wife realize he was as confused as he appeared that day? Who was Mildred? A former wife? A long lost love? His mother? Is he still living? How is Jean coping? Whatever the situation, I hope they had/have support along their journey.
(Names have been changed, so as to not identify the couple. I really have no idea who they were, or where they were from.)
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