Life's Funny That Way

Hiding in my Ex's Closet

Prompt: "You have a key to your ex'es apartment. You decide to snoop around when he/she unexpectedly comes home. You hide in the closet. What do you hear?"

Dec 29 Prompt
“Hiding in my ex’s closet… what do I hear?”

He stumbles in, well after midnight – drunk again.  But, why should today be any different than every other day since he lost his job.  He claims some sort of back injury, but even I didn’t believe it.  I laugh to myself at how bizarre it was that I even got involved in that relationship.  At the time, of course, it wasn’t funny – but, as they say, time heals all, and now I try to muffle my giggle as he trips over a pair of shoes he left in the middle of the floor and lands, sprawling over the kitchen table.
What an idiot I think to myself, hearing him grunt as he pulls himself back to his feet.

It’s such a waste of a human life, what he’s done to himself.  But, it’s not my problem anymore.  I can’t save the world.  I gave that idea up when I walked out that door for the last time.  We had fun in the beginning.  Then, after he said he hurt his back, it only got steadily worse.  It wasn’t just the drinking, but also the narcotic pain killers they gave him for his back – to which he seemed to become instantly addicted.  He’s an adult.  It’s his problem.  If he wants to live that way, then so be it.  I moved around in the closet to get a better look at its contents.  Ah hah!  There’s my DVD player.  Who knows why it’s in the closet.  I don’t really care.  He does a lot of weird crap when he’s drunk – which is always.  Let’s see… what else is mine?  Oh.  Sweet.  My fire-proof lock box is in here, too.  I never really kept anything in the box after his paranoia got to the point that he needed to know what was in everything I owned… that box, my purse, whatever.  I kept any important paperwork at my sister’s house for months before I left.

I heard him slump onto the bed, still dressed and shoes still on.  I counted to five, knowing he would be passed out by then.  I slipped out of the closet.  What a waste.  I went to the front door, closing it firmly for the last time, my belongings in tow.. I had no fear that he would wake up and hear me.  He never did.


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