I look forward to these next ten days every year. Every year, my wife, China, and seven of her girl friends go away together somewhere for ten days. However China views leaving me alone for ten days, I'm not concerned. Being home alone for ten days means I can eat what I want, dress as I want and watch whatever television I want. I can also watch all the pornography I want on my laptop with the volume turned on. For me, it's a good trade off.
China and I have been married for twenty-three years. The twins, Gem and Lance, are away in school, sophomores in two universities in upstate New York only twenty miles apart. They share an apartment between the schools and rarely come home unexpectedly. We keep their bedrooms ready in our five-bedroom house just for those occasions when they do come home.
Every year China and her friends go somewhere different although they've had to repeat a destination on occasion when they can't agree or they particularly liked somewhere they had already been. This year they went to Mallorca, an island off the east coast of Spain in the Mediterranean. They left yesterday afternoon and China messaged me early this morning that they had arrived safely.
I have no vote on where they go or what they do after they get there and I don't ask questions when they get back. My only participation is to give China a hall pass when she asks for it and she always does. She also always gives me a hall pass while I'm at home. It doesn't have the same meaning since I'm home and she's not. I think she believes I have few opportunities to exercise the freedom that comes with the hall pass while at home and she's usually right. Usually.
China texted me when they arrived. I got the message about seven am and rolled over in bed to read it. Since I was awake, I got up, straightened the bed, took a shower and shaved even though I didn't have to. I dressed casually in cargo shorts and a tee shirt. No socks, no shoes.
I made coffee and drank it with toast while I watched the morning news on TV. I played some solitaire on my PC, watched a few MILFs take off their clothes on video and was heating up a frozen potpie in the microwave for a late lunch when the doorbell rang.
That usually meant some UPS delivery from Amazon so I ignored it until it rang a second time. I paused the video, put the laptop on the sofa next to me and went to the door. It's hard to describe my surprise when I opened the door and Jewel, China's sister, was standing there. It was a rare event. I hadn't seen her since the holidays. She looked tired and somewhat overwrought.
I invited her in and she sat on the sofa. I quickly closed and moved my laptop, hopefully quickly enough. I offered her something to drink. She asked for water and I got a large glass for her.
I sat in a chair next to the sofa and asked her what brought her here today.
"Norm," she opened. "Owen and I had a huge fight last night. I slept in the guest room and he left this morning still mad. He didn't talk to me and slammed the door on the way out. I didn't know what to do so I packed a bag and drove here to talk to China. She's always able to calm me and help me through these crises."
"Jewel, China isn't here. She's on her annual soiree," I informed her.
"Oh," she replied. "Maybe I can wait. When will she be back?"
"She just left. I don't expect her back for at least ten days."
"Oh. Norm, I have no place to go. I can't go home again, at least not soon. Can I stay here with you?"
"Jewel, I'm not sure that's a good idea. Maybe I can get a hold of China and you can talk to her?"
China had an international phone for this trip just for emergencies like this. I found the number and placed the call.
China answered on the second ring. "Norm? This is a surprise. What's the problem?"
"No bigger than the surprise I just had. Jewel's here," I told her.
"Jewel? My sister Jewel?"
"Yup. Your sister."
"She's at the house?"
"Yup again."
"How'd she get there?"
"She drove."
"That's over three hundred miles."
"It is. She left early this morning."
"What does she want?"
"She's left Owen again. She wants to stay here."
"Let me talk to her."
I gave the phone to Jewel. "It's China. She wants to talk to you."
Jewel took the phone and walked into the kitchen to talk to her sister. Ten minutes later, she came back and handed me the phone. "She wants to talk to you."
I took the phone and replaced Jewel in the kitchen.
"Norm," I heard China's voice.
"I'm here."
"I told her she could stay in the guest room," she shared with me.
"Is that a good idea?"
"It's the best I could think of. Why? Does it bother you?"
"I'm a little uncomfortable being alone with her until you come home. I was planning to be alone to just do as I please while you were gone."
"I sorry she showed up. I'm sure you can handle it until she leaves or I come home. I'll make it up to you somehow when I get home. Think of something dirty. We can also work on a more reasonable solution about her."
"Okay but I'm still uncomfortable."
"You'll be fine. Jewel's usually good company. I'm sure you guys will work it out together and you have a pass. Now let me get back to my dinner."
"Sure. Have fun."
"Have fun yourself," she giggled as she hung up.