5. The Flower Garden (Surprise Ending)

Jack had loved his job.  He enjoyed the challenge of writing new programs to analyze cancer data.  He happily worked so many hours of unpaid overtime his only social life was with his colleagues at work.   Fortunately, or unfortunately, his wife Shirley was gone, so she no longer complained about his hours away from home.  But he was getting older and although inside he still felt like a 30 year old dude, outside he was definitely 70 years old.  His knees ached, his vision was getting worse, and the winters were slowly killing him.  He needed to move south to a warmer place that would soothe his painful bones and perhaps put a spring back in his step.  Seemed like Milwaukee was getting too cold for him.  No matter what the pundits said about global warming.            So he had reluctantly retired, was given a nice retirement party, and a $100 Barnes & Noble gift certificate, “to help you get through your days without us,” Larry, his best friend at work had laughingly explained.
            Jack had a few thoughts about what his retirement would be like if Shirley was still around.  Constant nagging.  He cringed. Thank heavens, she was long gone.  To California—to seek her fortune.  He grinned to himself.  “At least that’s what everyone thinks.”
            But now he was free.  Free of her, free of a daily job, and soon free of his house and winter.  He had put the house on the market before he retired figuring it might take a while to sell.  It sold surprisingly fast.  The realtor told him the beautiful back yard flower garden had helped to sell it.  Shirley hadn’t liked flowers, too much work, she complained.  But once she was gone he was able to spend the little free time he had developing a showplace filled with every Midwestern flower.   He would probably miss their colors and scents in humid Florida. 
            The young couple who bought the house were coming for a final walk through before all the papers were signed and he turned over the keys.  He thought the wife looked pregnant and he could picture them in the backyard with a baby enjoying the fruits of his labor.  When they were all standing in the garden, his heart stopped as the wife said, “Your flowers are so beautiful, we will try to move as many as possible before we have the foundation for the extension dug out.”
            Jack stammered, “An..an..extension?’
            The husband explained, “Didn’t the realtor tell you?  We want to add on to your house to make room for the new addition to our family.”  He smiled at his little joke and patted his wife’s belly.
            Jack felt his heart start up again, hammering faster and faster.  He didn’t say anything to them, but as soon as they left he called the realtor, telling her something had happened and he couldn’t go through with the sale.  She was mad, but he agreed to pay her part of her lost commission and she calmed down.  Jack could not calm down.  Now he knew the truth.  He was stuck in the snow and ice for the rest of his life.  His job was gone, his friends were gone, his dream of warm weather was gone.  All because his wife was not gone.  Shirley lay undisturbed—under the flowers, quietly fertilizing them.  And please God, Jack prayed, that’s where she would stay until he died.

                                                                             The End