Disappointment
„Are you going to reveal your dream to me now?", Joe asked while he was pressing out some juice. "I think I should wait, I don't want to addle the most important meal of the day", Allison laughed although she was worried. "I dreamed something very funny last night", Bridgette mentioned and poured milk in her bowl. "What?" said Ariel slightly annoyed. "There were many pills and they had arms and legs and were dancing and singing", her sister told. "Funny" Marie added. She was eating her cereals in a hurry. "Are you excited, my dear", Allison demanded and softly ran her fingers through her youngest daughters hair. Marie nodded and kept on sipping. Ariel rolled her eyes. "This is the silliest thing ever. Dancing pills, what bollocks", she said and stood up. "So kids, get ready for school", Joe assigned and fetched his coat. "Don't forget the play this evening", admonished Allison and put the self-made sandwiches in her purse.
Outside it was cold and frostily. It was snowing since yesterday morning and the streets were frigid. "Take care and have a nice day", Allison kissed her three children goodbye before she got in her own car and drove off to work.
Devalos her boss was yet at his office when she arrived. Her nose was red and she had the feeling to be inner iced. "Would you like a coffee", Detective Lee Scanlon offered and she accepted it. The warm vapors arised and she seemed to defrost. "Do we have a new case", she wanted to know and put down her bag. "Lee found a young man, he was 19 or 20. His nape was broken he must have fallen down a bridge. It could be suicide but we aren't so sure", Devalos explained. Allison didn't listen at all. The picture of this masked man from last night didn't let her go. It appeared again and again in her head. Who was he? And what or who is Mayfield? Who was that woman next to him? So many questions. She wished to go to bed as soon as possible to find out more about these people.
It was yet 5 pm. In a half hour the play of Marie would start. Joe was sitting at his desk typing one calculation after another. The new project they had made up cost a lot of concentration. Every single number had to be on his right place. He was checking out every formula from the past four days to avoid any faults. But then he was interrupted. "Joe, may I talk to you for a moment", his employer was standing in the door, his arms stemmed in his hips as if this would impress Joe. "Sure", he saved the files and walked with his boss outside. "Listen. I know it comes at short notice but I have to send you to a meeting in New Jersey. We got information about a new CPU which would accelerate our work. I want you to find out more for me. You think that you can manage it?", he had great expectations. "I have to think about it. Sir, I am in a hurry right now", Joe started to explain the situation but his boss pegged away with his idea. "What is more important? Your daughters play or your job?" his voice had an imminent touch. "I understand", Joe admitted and approved the journey. How should he break the news to his wife? He didn't want to go alone. At least Allison should accompany him.
Bridgette called her sister and her mother. "Here are free seats" she shouted through the whole hall. The play was about to start. "Where's daddy? He said that he would show up too", Bridgette said. "I know. I hope that he will come soon", Allison tried to calm her daughter. Then the spectacle initiated. It wasn't a real play, Ariel thought. Each kid introduced a different job. There was a pilot, a little girl who played a gorgeous fashion model, a red haired boy who was covered with freckles imitated a fire fighter and then came Marie. She was wearing a long white overall and brought along a thermometer a stethoscope and a small suitcase with a red cross on it.
"I am a doctor" she proudly said.
"I help people to get better. If they have a fever I gave them medicine and tell them to stay in bed. If they have a rush I give them ointment", she paused a moment and looked irritated to her teacher who started to form the next lines.
"Pills are against aches but too many pills can damage your body", she was saying this phrases and looked very austere. People laughed but Allison was pale. It seemed like a coincidence. She knew since a couple of weeks that Marie played a doctor but she never had thought about it.
When the four turned home Joe had cooked a delicious meal. "Hello Marie", he said in a lovely voice but his daughter just walked away to Ariel. "Where have you been", Allison said visibly enraged. "We missed you, daddy", Bridgette added and sat down at the table. "Allison, I need to talk to you", he said and begged his wife to follow him to the bedroom.
"What's the problem? Any trouble at work", she asked. "I got charged with a journey. You and I have to go to New Jersey for a few days. My boss told me that it is very important for the company and that it will bring a huge progress." Allison was unsure. "What happens to our children? We can't leave them on their own", she said. "I phoned Amanda to look after them". "I don't know it comes so sudden but if it is necessary than I'm going to accompany you. Let's tell the kids."