Oh boy! I’m having guests over for the first time in a long time. My home, its not ready, I need to clean. The stains, there are stains everywhere. Blood stains from all the beasts I have killed. Baking stains from some of my cooking shows. They love me, all the people love me, but the executives didn’t. I cooked for them. But they never showed up. Finally, I’m getting people over, friends I met at the grocery store. I was gettin onions. Or was it carrots. I don’t remember, I never remember the mundane. Only the extravagant. Like my mom, she was white, long hair, 3 fingers on her right hand. Dad had chopped them off. Where did I put the vacuum? I don’t remember, I think it was in the basement, I’ll go down there. Where was I? Ah yes, the grocery store. I was working, checking people out. Someone came up to me with one banana in their hand. I said “Hey man, knock it off!” And now he wants to join me for dinner. Ma always said that friends are easy to make and hard to keep. Or was it easy to keep and hard to make? Beats me. Alright. Let's make the table, I got plates, I got forks, spoons, knives, everything. Oh man oh man! That’s the doorbell. Gotta go let my new friends in.
“Trust me Rachel. I know Steve has a few issues, but we gotta support him. He’s a nice guy. I think we just need to get to know him.”
“Yes I know, but I’m worried. I mean last time we were over, he called you Ronald McDonald, and we ate on the floor but he kept calling it the table.”
“Yeah I remember, but today when I ran into him at the gas station, he seemed very nice. He said something about me having a banana, but I think it was just my yellow phone case. And even though his house is always dirty, at least there isn’t a stain in the entire place.”
“Well I guess you're right. I’ll try and engage in conversation with him, but if things get out of hand, we leave and never come back. I don’t care that he relies on you to be a friend, we must get out of this relationship Dave. It’s destroying our lives.”
“Alright, alright, I understand. But trust me, I think Steve will be different this time.”
The door creaked open. “Welcome Dave, this is my home, I hope you make yourself feel.” His voice trailed off as Steve raced off into the living room. It had no couch, no T.V. No working fireplace or tables. There was a duct tape X in the middle where Steve sat, and newspaper piled in the corner where a paper mache dog sat. He led Dave into the “dining room” which was nothing more than an empty room, with little X’s randomly placed around the room. He sat Dave down in the corner, and sat on the opposite side.
“Steve, you left my wife at the door. Why did you do that?”
“Sorry, but we are all out of seats.” He turned to the X next to him and passed the salad bowl. “Wow Robert, no salad again. I can’t imagine how unhealthy that is.” There was complete silence in the room. Dave’s face grew paler the longer he sat, looking at a friend pass invisible salad to invisible people.
“Listen Steve, I think we need to talk.” His eyes started to tear up. “I think, I, I think you've lost your mind Steve. There is nobody here but you and me. There is no salad, no table, no anything. This house has white walls, no furniture, no pictures. It’s empty Steve. It’s plain. This is not how you were before, but it is how you are now, and I think you need to get some help.”
“Dave listen man. You can’t do this to me. After all I did for you, all I sacrificed.” He ran into the kitchen, and from inside the fridge pulled out his purple heart plaque. “I am the reason you are still here Dave. The reason you can still walk, can still go home to your wife and kids. But I have no wife, no kids, no family. All I have are these voices, they seem so real but yet I know they are not. Dave I need not just any help. I need your help. I need you to help me get rid of these voices.” His head looked around at the barren room. No one spoke for a long time. They sit in silence, Dave staring out the window at his wife, remembering her words about the burden that Steve was on their life. Steve swung his arms around his head, swatting imaginary bugs away. Steve could not contain his disdain for the voices any longer. “WOULD YOU SHUT UP FOR ONE MINUTE!”
“Listen man.” Dave got up and headed for the door. “You may have saved my life, but I’m not going to lose my mind trying to save what’s left of yours.” He walked briskly out of the room, leaving the shell of a war hero behind. Their relationship was gone, but the burden of Steve would remain for many years to come.