Behind The Glockenspiel
Niles stared at the Glockenspiel for quite some time.
It was a dark and stormy night and the wind whipped against the windows like it was begging to be let in out of the rain and lightning. It was so resourceful, that it was even darting down the chimney and causing a bit of a draft by the hearth. He was expecting Daphne over. You see, she was coming over to help prepare a meal for Maris. It was Niles' apology dinner for being caught in the closet by the maid as he wore nothing but an eye-patch waiting to romantically surprise Maris.
He could smile about it now. It sure wasn't funny back then, so it was refreshing to find humor in it now.
On the winter night, when the heavens poured down, Daphne had to park further away from the house because a tree was down in his drive. It was a good thing that he had already banished that fireplace draft and had started a healthy fire because when she arrived, she was soaked. And she was heartbroken. Why that boyfriend of hers had broken up with her earlier. What was his name? Derik? No, it was Eric. Now he was just a name; water under the bridge. Niles and Daphne were very happily married.
"Niles, did your wrist watch falter again?" Frasier said as he placed his coffee down at Niles' table at Nervosa.
"No. No, this is the Glockenspiel that Maris and I purchased on our honeymoon."
Frasier took a seat. "I see. And why is it here?"
"Well, Daphne was sorting out our storage area and it ended up in the living room." Niles inhaled and sighed slowly.
"I see. And why is it here?"
The storm had caused the lights to go out at the mansion. He lit her a candle and sent her upstairs to change out of those wet clothes – to get something out of Maris' closet. While she did so, he found more candles to set out and light. Maris had called and couldn't make it back from the location of her day spa; Sedona, Arizona. He and the true love of his life were completely alone, yet he was indeed still married to Maris.
He played the piano in the illumination of candles to pass the time. When Daphne came downstairs, she was in a silk, white night gown that simply took his breath away. She was simply stunning. It was a time in their lives that the forbidden fruit of life was just one short leap of becoming passion fruit. It was a time where Maris was pushed into the background of his life. Unbridle passions were… well... bridled that night.
She opened up to him that night. She poured out her feelings of her view on relationships and he comforted her, making her realize that the weaknesses she found in the ways she viewed relationships were actually her strengths to be so warm and loving.
"I'm glad we ended up like this tonight," she told him while laying on their large Persian rug with a pillow comfortably propping her head up by the sofa. "It's just so nice being with a man you feel so comfortable with. I feel very close to you."
"I feel very close to you too, Daphne." His heart was warm. It was comfortably beating at a rapid pace as he tripped over his own words to tell her how nice it was to be with her. She had closed her eyes as she rested comfortably. He remembered the details as if it was yesterday and not almost a decade away.
His head began to swim as he leaned over her. The desire to press his lips to hers was just a bit overpowering to ignore. Daphne Moon was just inches from a passionate kiss. Daphne Moon laying right below him in a silk night gown that look like it was tailored just for her. She was so beautiful. So darn angelic. To taste her lips for but a moment would be like sipping the waters of paradise itself. Once he started to lean into her, it just felt so right. There were no repercussions, there were no reprisals, no regrets. It felt so darn right for it to be wrong or regretted. This moment… this very moment would change their lives forever. Oh Daphne… Daphne Moon…
"Niles?" Frasier said in a drawn out manner with a hint of accusation.
Of course, the accusation was well warranted. He hadn't heard a word his brother said in the last five minutes and his eyes moved from the Glockenspiel to his brother sitting across the Nervosa table. "I'm so sorry Frasier, my mind must have drifted off."
"Need I ask a third time?" He lifted that eyebrow of his.
Niles shook his head as if he was shaking off the fantasy and refocusing himself. "Right, the clock. I'm taking it to the antique store." There was a pause that spoke volumes of his words of regret. "I'm going to sell it."
"Ah yes, the burning of the old relationship memoirs."
Niles shot his brother a look, almost surprise that he had understood so well. Then again, why wouldn't he? He was a psychiatrist. "That's right."
"Oh, don't act so surprised you ninny, I've had experiences in my life too. Is this something that Daphne asked you to do?"
"Absolutely not," he rebounded to the question as if he had taken offense to it. "Why, I don't think she would ever ask such a thing of me. Daphne and I have a solid relationship that has no needs for any 'burning of old relationship memoirs', be it tradition or not."
"Oh, do calm down Niles, it's just a damn clock."
"How dare you sir!"
"Niles, I'm simply stating that it's not like it's a box of love letters or such. Does Daphne know that you're getting rid of it?"
"No." He touched the base of it. "No, she doesn't."
"When you look at it, what values do you see in it?"
"Well, it is a Glockenspiel, need I say more?"
"Of course." Frasier sincerely agreed with him on the clock's face value.
"Well… it is a handsome clock and it is a key to the solid foundation to the events that has helped to shape who I am today."
"Ah-ha!"
Niles abruptly stood and snatched up his clock. "Oh damn you Frasier! Can't you stop analyzing everything for once?" Of course Niles regretted snapping at his brother the moment he did, but sometimes there is no deep seeded mystery about everything. He just needed someone to talk to for a moment and not be prodded and verbally dissected. He had turned on his heels and was out the door. There would be plenty of opportunities to apologize to Frasier later.