OUIET

The house is really quiet. There's been a lot of noise lately. Last night was noisy, I couldn't sleep. The tv was on, cats were jumping and hanging on the screen, trucks were rattling down the road, the washer, dryer and dishwasher were doing their jobs, I was coughing. Today has been no quieter, until now. Tracy came to clean, the vacuum was vacuuming, dishes were rattling, commodes flushing, phones ringing, dust was flying (I know, I know, dust isn't noisy), people talking, cats meowing.

Then it all came to a standstill. The house is cleaned, Mama is sleeping, the cats are sleeping in their favorite places, things are just quiet. Quiet is good.

This quiet reminds me of other quiet days. When I was a little girl I visited my old cousins, Essa Cova. Their house was usually quiet. Afternoons almost always found us napping. I can see myself on the daybed in the side room. In summer the windows would be open, I could hear the whippoorwill or the bob white entertaining themselves as well as me, the clock ticking, then striking. Occasionally, an airplane would fly overhead, making the unmistakable sound that planes make in the summer. During the winter, the fireplace would crackle and the logs would shift, stirring up little puffs of smoke and ash.

Days that I stayed home from school were quiet. Both as a student and as a teacher, days home were filled with silence. I liked the tv off, just enjoying the non-noise time. My mother would put a clean, cool sheet on the couch, tucking it in under the cushions, pulling it tight. I would stay like that for hours, sometimes, reading. I did the same for my children and grandchildren.

This quiet will soon be gone along with all the other quiet. I hope it doesn't stay away too long.