The Radio

Edward Higgins sat at the dining room table all alone, eating his TV dinner. He would glance down the table at times to the empty chair. If he looked hard enough, he could almost see her sitting there smiling at him, asking him if he wanted some more gravy on his potatoes. But he knew it was just an illusion. He knew no matter how long or much he wished, she would never sit there again.

He had dumped the TV dinner slop onto a plate so it would look more like a regular dinner. When he placed his fork down on the plate, it seemed to echo throughout the quiet empty house.

When Elsa had been alive, she would be in the kitchen, humming to herself and listening to the old GE electric radio that he had bought her when they got married. It was a wonder it lasted all those years. She kept it on top of the refrigerator.

Throughout the years, the electronics technology had progressed with leaps and bounds. He had bought her what they called a boom box. He had moved the old one to the side and sat the new one in it’s place. The next morning when he had come down for breakfast, there was the old GE back in it’s place belting out the tunes from her favorite radio station.

When he looked at her questionably, she just smiled sheepishly and told him that the new one was just a little much for her and that hers’ worked just fine.

He had told her once she had missed her calling and should have gone into the radio business. She laughed and said, “Well maybe some day I will be on the radio and if I am I will talk to you darling.” He had laughed with her.

Edward got up, carried his half-eaten dinner into the kitchen, scraped the plate into the garbage, and rinsed it off. Elsa had trained him well.

She had been taken from him so suddenly. He looked down at the kitchen floor where he had found her. He had sat by her holding her head in his lap waiting for the ambulance to arrive. They had arrived too late though and could not revive her. He recalled that she had whispered to him,” Remember, I am going to be on the radio.

That had been almost a year ago. There wasn’t much for him to do anymore. He had fixed everything that needed it when he retired. He did enjoy doing the yard work and keeping Elsa’s garden alive.

They had two grown sons, but they had careers, families and busy lives of their own. They did call once a week and check on him. They had brought up the subject of him selling the house and getting him a small apartment closer to them, but he hadn’t spoken to them for two weeks, so they dropped it. So he stayed in the big empty house with his memories.

One morning he was making coffee, and glanced up at the radio. He walked over and switched it on for the first time since Elsa had passed. It was still set on her favorite station. It made it seem like she was still there somewhere in the house. He sat in the breakfast nook and listened to the announcer while he sipped his coffee.

All of a sudden, the station went to dead air. He got up and turned the tuning knob, trying to locate it again, but all he got was static and silence. Aloud he said, “Well at least it lasted this long. It even outlasted Elsa.”

He was just about to turn it off when he heard a whisper that sounded like it was saying his name. He walked to the dining room door, “Is anyone there?” There was no answer, He figured he was finally getting senile. He walked back into the kitchen and reached up again to turn off the radio when he heard it again but this time a little stronger.

“Edward.”

He stopped and stood still.

“Edward.”

It sounded just like his Elsa. But it couldn’t be. He was going crazy. He was hearing things.

“Edward is that you?”

Edward answered automatically.

“Yes, I’m Edward.”

“See I told you I would be on the radio someday,” said the voice of his beloved Elsa.

Edward turned to the radio, “Is that you Elsa?”

“Yes Edward it’s me.”

Edward picked up the radio and shook it, turning it around in his hands, then turning the knobs but started hearing static again. So he turned it back the original station and there was quiet. “Elsa, Elsa, are you there? Please talk to me.”

After a second or so he heard, “Edward. I’m here Edward.”

Edward held the radio and wrapped his arms around it, tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I never thought I would hear your voice again.”

“It’s alright Edward, I’m here.”

“But where is here Elsa? Are you in the radio? How can this be?”

“Somehow the radio waves are conducting my voice. I’ve wanted to talk to you for so long, but you couldn’t hear me.”

“Oh Elsa, I miss you so much. I don’t know what to do without you,”

Edward,” the voice from the radio said, “I hate to see you alone and sad. You should marry again and have someone to take care of you. I want you to be happy.”

“Elsa you are the love of my life. I could never love another.”

“And you are the love of my life too Edward,” the voice from the radio said.

Edward sat the radio down on the counter. “Don’t leave me again Elsa, please.”

“I can only stay for a while.”

Edward and the voice sat and talked for hours. He had not been this happy for a long time. They talked well into the night. He was getting sleepy and finally had to decide to go to bed, but he was afraid to turn off the radio and lose his Elsa. But Elsa said, “It’s okay Edward, I will still be here for you.”

Edward unplugged the radio, took it with him to the bedroom, plugged it in, sat it on the nightstand beside his bed, and got under the covers. He reached over and turned it on. “Elsa are you still there? Elsa.”

“I am still here Edward. Now why don’t you lie down and get comfortable and go to sleep.”

“Okay, Edward said, “Goodnight Elsa.”

“Goodnight my darling Edward. Sweet dreams.”

Edward slipped off to sleep and dreamed of happy days when he and Elsa were young.

“Edward, wake up Edward. Good morning sweetheart.”

Edward slowly woke and disoriented felt the other side of the bed. But he felt only a empty pillow and blanket. As he became more awake, he started to remember what happened the day before. He looked over at the radio. He thought he had dreamed the whole thing.

Edward hesitantly said, “Elsa is that you?”

“Yes why don’t we go have some breakfast. I’ll tell you how to make the pancakes I used to make that you like so much.”

“Okay Elsa.”

Edward put on his slippers and robe and picked up the radio and took it into the kitchen and sat it back on the refrigerator, and turned it on. “You still there Elsa?”

“Yes Edward “

So Edward under the instruction of his Elsa made pancakes and sat down and ate them, all the while getting to talk to his beloved wife.

The days of his life went by. He wasn’t alone anymore. He took the radio wherever in the house he went. He even plugged it into his extension cord and took it out in the yard so they could talk while he did the gardening. He even got a few tips from Elsa on growing the flowers.

One day the neighbor heard Edwards voice and peered through the hedge and saw Edward talking but no one was there so he thought Edward might be going senile. He got worried and called Edwards’ sons and told them what he saw and maybe they should visit and see if Edward was all right.

His two sons Tommy and Eddie came over one day. Edward was surprised to see them.

“Dad are you all right? The neighbor called and said you hardly leave the house anymore and that he saw you talking to yourself in the yard. Is there something you want to tell us?

Edward snorted, “Nosey neighbor.”

“Sons you are going to have a hard time believing this but I was talking to your mother.”

“Dad Mom’s dead. How could you be talking to her.?”

“You have to hear this so you will believe me. “Come with me.”

They followed him into the kitchen. Edward asked, “Do you remember this radio?”

“Yes Mom listened to it all the time.”

“Listen to this.” He turned on the radio. “Elsa are you there. Look who has come to visit.”

There was only silence. Elsa please say something so they will believe me.”

Still only silence. His sons looked at each other sadly. Tommy finally said, “Dad, we know how much you miss Mom but she is dead and you have to accept that. There is no way that Mom is talking from the radio”

Edward picked up the radio, “Elsa say something. Tell them you’re here.”
“Edward,” came from the radio.

Edward laughed and said, “See did you hear that? I told you so,” and held out the radio to his sons.

“Dad we didn’t hear anything. Eddie said, “We are going to have Dr Phillips to come out and check you out.”

“You didn’t hear that? Why it was plain as day. Elsa say something else.”

“Dad stop, Tommy took the radio out of his hands and placed it back on the refrigerator. Are you alright?”

Edward sank down on the bench. “But I am telling the truth. Your mother talks to me. Isn’t Dr. Phillips one of those shrinks. I’m not crazy and I’m not talking to a shrink.”

Eddie said, “Well Dad we are going to make an appointment for him to come out and talk to you or else we are going to move you in the community center. It’s your choice.”

His sons left and Edward sat there with his head in his hands thinking. Maybe I am going senile or crazy.

“Edward”

He jumped up and talked up to the radio, “Why didn’t you say something to our sons? Now they think I’m crazy.”

“Edward you’re the only one who can hear me. I’m sorry but that is just the way it is. Now let’s go watch some TV.”

A few days later Dr. Phillips came to call. It didn’t go very well. Edward kicked him out yelling, “No one calls me a liar. You quack.”

A few weeks went by, the news got out around the neighborhood, and Edward became known as the crazy old man who talked to the radio. Everyone heard the rumors. He didn’t care, he had his Elsa’s company and that was all he wanted or cared about. He and the radio were inseparable.

One day Eddie Higgins called 911. “There’s been an accident with my father. I think he’s dead.”

When the ambulance and the police got there, Eddie led them into the bathroom. There in the bathtub full of water was Edward Higgins slumped down lifeless. There was a radio floating in the water.

“Isn’t this the old man who thought his wife talked to him through the radio and had conversations with her?” asked the cop to the ambulance driver.

“Yeah,” answered the driver, “Maybe he asked her to wash his back.”