Sitting on the uncomfortable wooden chair that had been serving as my bed, I listened to the
steady rise and fall of Sylvia's breath. After one or two hours of being unable to sleep, I had given up trying. I
sighed as I got out of the chair and walked toward the one window in the room. Pushing aside the curtain I
looked up into the midnight sky, dotted with shining stars. A bright streak of light ran across the sky, soon
fading out of sight. At any other time the scene would have filled me with joy, but leaning my head against the
cool glass I felt drained of any feeling, as if I had already felt too much over the day to feel anything more.
In the silence of the night I allowed myself to think about all of the things I had said to Sylvia. At
the time, I said things truly believing I could make them happen- but now I realized that I had promised her things
that I didn't know if I could handle. All I had I wanted- and still wanted- was for her to be happy, but what if
nothing went the way I planned? Oh, I knew I loved her, and that she loved me, but I also knew that it would take
more than love to get through all the hardships life had in store for us. Pa, and especially Ma thought I was too
young to realize what marriage and fatherhood would do to my plans for the future. They still thought I was a
little boy, believing everything would go my way, simply because I wanted them to. But I had stopped being a
little boy a long time ago, and while I wasn't quite a man yet, I knew what I was getting into. Unfortunately, I
realized with disappointment, that didn't wasn't exactly much help.
CREEEAK! I banged my head against the window, startled at the sudden sound. Hurrying to
close the gap between Sylvia and me, I called out in a fierce (or at least I hoped) voice, "Who's there?"
"It's only me… I came to see Sylvia," Mr. Webb stepped into my line of vision and I could see the
start of a frown on his browned face. "What are you doing here?"
"Sylvia wanted me here," I said feeling slightly nervous in his presence. He no longer had much of a
reason to dislike me, but then again he didn't have much of a reason to like me either. Uneasily my eyes followed
his steps towards the bed.
He accepted my reply with silence. I watched him kneel against the bed and reach out to touch
Sylvia, but at the last moment he took his hand away, as if he had been burned. After an uncomfortable period
of time he spoke.
"I made a promise to my wife before she died," he said dully, looking past me as if I wasn't there. "I
told her I'd never let Sylvia get hurt, that I would always protect her… "
His voice broke off and even in the darkness I could see the way his eyes glittered with the same
emotion that I felt so sharply within me- guilt.
"It wasn't your fault Mr. Webb," I replied almost automatically. I knew that at the moment he didn't
care about what I had to say, but I also knew how he was feeling. It made me, in some way, want to comfort him-
as if by comforting him I could forget about my own guilt.
Ignoring me, as I had thought he would, Mr. Webb turned around and walked towards the door.
Just as he stepped out of the room, I heard his deep voice mutter bitterly, "You reap what you sow."
steady rise and fall of Sylvia's breath. After one or two hours of being unable to sleep, I had given up trying. I
sighed as I got out of the chair and walked toward the one window in the room. Pushing aside the curtain I
looked up into the midnight sky, dotted with shining stars. A bright streak of light ran across the sky, soon
fading out of sight. At any other time the scene would have filled me with joy, but leaning my head against the
cool glass I felt drained of any feeling, as if I had already felt too much over the day to feel anything more.
In the silence of the night I allowed myself to think about all of the things I had said to Sylvia. At
the time, I said things truly believing I could make them happen- but now I realized that I had promised her things
that I didn't know if I could handle. All I had I wanted- and still wanted- was for her to be happy, but what if
nothing went the way I planned? Oh, I knew I loved her, and that she loved me, but I also knew that it would take
more than love to get through all the hardships life had in store for us. Pa, and especially Ma thought I was too
young to realize what marriage and fatherhood would do to my plans for the future. They still thought I was a
little boy, believing everything would go my way, simply because I wanted them to. But I had stopped being a
little boy a long time ago, and while I wasn't quite a man yet, I knew what I was getting into. Unfortunately, I
realized with disappointment, that didn't wasn't exactly much help.
CREEEAK! I banged my head against the window, startled at the sudden sound. Hurrying to
close the gap between Sylvia and me, I called out in a fierce (or at least I hoped) voice, "Who's there?"
"It's only me… I came to see Sylvia," Mr. Webb stepped into my line of vision and I could see the
start of a frown on his browned face. "What are you doing here?"
"Sylvia wanted me here," I said feeling slightly nervous in his presence. He no longer had much of a
reason to dislike me, but then again he didn't have much of a reason to like me either. Uneasily my eyes followed
his steps towards the bed.
He accepted my reply with silence. I watched him kneel against the bed and reach out to touch
Sylvia, but at the last moment he took his hand away, as if he had been burned. After an uncomfortable period
of time he spoke.
"I made a promise to my wife before she died," he said dully, looking past me as if I wasn't there. "I
told her I'd never let Sylvia get hurt, that I would always protect her… "
His voice broke off and even in the darkness I could see the way his eyes glittered with the same
emotion that I felt so sharply within me- guilt.
"It wasn't your fault Mr. Webb," I replied almost automatically. I knew that at the moment he didn't
care about what I had to say, but I also knew how he was feeling. It made me, in some way, want to comfort him-
as if by comforting him I could forget about my own guilt.
Ignoring me, as I had thought he would, Mr. Webb turned around and walked towards the door.
Just as he stepped out of the room, I heard his deep voice mutter bitterly, "You reap what you sow."