Calgary, January 2023
Dave’s wife Laura died in a traffic accident, and he was devastated. They lived together for only few years and Dave still loved her very much. He couldn’t imagine his life without her. Wandering through the house he was recalling their life together, longing for her to come back, and one evening his wish came true.
“I am here,” he heard her voice.
“Where? Where are you?”
“You cannot see me, but I am here. I will always be with you.”
Dave was ecstatic. “Can we go to bed?”
“No, you can’t touch me, and besides, the bed is still not made.”
This was true. Since Laura’s death Dave neglected not only the house choirs, but also himself. He didn’t wash his cloth, took shower only sporadically and at work people started to keep a distance from him. Finally, his friend Martin realized he must do something for him.
“Dave, you cannot live like that. I know, you loved your wife very much, but she is dead, and you are alive. You must continue living, you can’t neglect yourself like that.”
But now, when Laura appeared to him, Dave found a new purpose of life. He will live for her. He washed all his cloth, got himself a good shover and cleaned the house.
“Hello Laura, wherever you are. How do you like me now?”
“You look better, but when was the last time you vacuumed the carpets?”
“Oh, I forgot about it. I will do it right away,” and Dave run down to the basement to get the vacuum cleaner.
“You look much better,” said Martin the next day at work.
“Yes, I did it for Laura. She was upset with me for neglecting our house.”
“But Laura is dead.”
“Yes, but we can still talk. I just cannot see her.”
Martin though Dave was getting creasy and needed an urgent help. Obviously, Dave needed a new woman and Martin was going to find her for him.
In the meantime, Laura didn’t hesitate to express her dissatisfaction with Dave’s home performance.
“You didn’t do any dusting since I died. You vacuum only when I ask you to do it. Why is the sink full of dirty dishes?”
“But Laura, you are dead, and this is my house now.”
“Yes, but do you remember I told you we will be always together? That means I will be always supervising you.”
Dave wasn’t sure he liked it anymore. “Laura is bugging me,” he told Martin.
“I have just a remedy for you. You will like her,” and Martin invited Dave for a dinner.
“This is Andrea,” Martin said when they met at the restaurant. The dinner was good, and Dave found Andrea sympathetic. They had more dates, and Dave had to make a confession to Laura:
“Laura, darling, I have found somebody else. Will you be mad at me?”
“No. After all, she is alive, and I am dead. From now on she will be the one supervising you. But be careful of what you wish, it might come true,” and Laura disappeared.
Dave was glad the parting went so well and invited Andrea for a romantic evening in his house. They kissed when she arrived and went to the dining room, where a bottle of wine was already waiting. While making a toast to their new life together, Andrea asked: “When was the last time you vacuumed your carpet?”