TURN THE RADIO ON!

TURN THE RADIO ON!

It seemed like the radio was always blaring, Tim thought as he opened the door. It had been a long day, and the boss had been on his back from the moment he'd gotten in. Not a very good start or finish, he thought. Then to come home to this racket. Tim wondered if Becky really listened to what was being broadcast.

Becky hadn't heard Tim come in, and she was still in the middle of preparing dinner. It was late when she started, but she didn't care. He needed to rest awhile anyway, by the looks of him lately.

"I'm home, Becky" Tim said as he walked into the kitchen. He went to the cupboard, got out a glass and went to the sink. Filling the glass with water, he listened for a response from her, and missed the curt nod she had given him. Tim drank deeply of the cold water, feeling a bit refreshed after the walk home.

It wasn't bad enough that the car had died; now it was going to cost more than a week's pay to fix it. It would have to sit at the garage until he had money enough to get it.

Tim's gaze fell on the shopping bag Becky had left on the floor. "Been shopping today?" he asked. Becky turned to him and replied "well, of course! Tomorrow is the PTA meeting, and I had to have something besides these old rags to wear! Don't you worry none, honey, it was hanging on the bargain rack. I know things are tight right now."

Tim held back his anger. Tight right now were the words for it, he thought. And supper? She had made leftovers so often that he felt like screaming. She can go out and buy a new dress but can't buy something decent to eat! Tim turned and went into the bathroom to wash up, his head starting to pound.

"Will you please turn off that radio for awhile?" Tim shouted. "Oh, for goodness sakes!" Becky replied, as the sound went off and there was a blessed quiet in the house.

Finishing up in the bathroom, his gaze went to the radio she kept in there. It seemed to stare back at him. "I'm losing it!" Tim said. He shook his head and walked back out to the kitchen, where Becky had set the table and was now waiting for him to come and eat.

"How was your day, darling?" Becky asked. Now that was different, Tim thought. What was all this 'honey, darling' business? Well, no matter, she was a little nuts lately anyway. Tim sat down and dished some spaghetti onto his plate, wishing he had a steak instead.

"My day was a rough one, my dear" he answered mockingly. "old Johnson was in one of his better moods and only on my back ALL day. One of these days I'm going to walk out and find a better job. I don't need his grief every day."

Becky looked at him with a hint of disgust as she helped herself to a small portion of spaghetti. She handed him the bread and took a slice for herself. "Well, don't be too hasty!" she said. "It isn't the first time, and you lived through it. You know we need the money!"

Tim took a few bites of spaghetti, feeling like strangling her. All she ever cared about was the money, it didn't matter if he was happy or not at work.

After supper, Tim went into the living room to read the paper while Becky cleared the table and did dishes. It wasn't long before she had the radio on again. His head was still throbbing, but it had started to ease until the music blared from that confounded radio again.

Tim tried to ignore it. That lasted about five minutes, when he got up and walked out to the entryway. He grabbed his coat and hollered over the noise that he was going out for a walk. The strains of "Sweet, goodbye" followed him out the door.

As he walked down the street, he noticed that some of the houses seemed quiet. "How I'd like to live there!" he muttered to himself. "No blasted music blaring away."

Becky stood at the sink, looking out the window as Tim headed down the steps and onto the sidewalk. "Can't understand him at ALL!" she said to herself, surprised that the words were spoken aloud. She rinsed the dishes and put them in the drainer to dry.

Switching stations, Becky found a request show in full swing. She grabbed a pencil and wrote down the number. Going to the phone, she dialed the station and asked that they play a song for Tim. A nice surprise, she thought. Maybe he won't be so crabby when he comes back!

Tim walked to the end of the block and feeling suddenly tired, turned back toward home. All he wanted to do was take a hot bath and get some sleep as soon as he could. He didn't realize he had walked so far. He felt a little foolish, for by just leaving the house because of a bit of music was not really necessary. He thought about the days when he and Becky used to dance together, and listen to "their songs" on the radio. Once he had some rest, things would be all right. He had been in worse shape before, and he could survive whatever unhappiness the boss handed him. It was, after all, just a job.

Becky deserved to have a new dress, and she shouldn't have to explain it to him. It shouldn't have to be off the bargain rack either. She deserved so much more.

By the time he got home, he was feeling pretty good about everything. He didn't even mind the music. Becky had the radio on again, but she was smiling!

"Hi, honey! Are you feeling better?" she asked.
"Oh, sure. I just needed some air and a chance to relax a bit. Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking a hot bath and heading to bed early. I'm really beat!"

A bit of disappointment showed in Becky's face. It was another night of no companionship, no love, no nothing! Yet she told him she'd laid out fresh towels for his bath, and that of course he needed his sleep. Becky started the water running in the tub, and went back out to the kitchen.

Settling in the warm water, Tim felt the cares of the day slip away. He had to almost fight to stay awake. He grabbed the soap and started to lather his body.

He heard Becky calling from the kitchen. "Tim! You've got to hear this! Turn the radio on!"

Half asleep, groggy, Tim reached up to turn on the radio. It could be his imagination, but he could swear it actually moved away from him. He got up on his knees and grabbed the cord to pull it closer to him. He slipped back into the water, and that darn radio seemed to fly through the air toward him! He still held the cord tightly in his hand.

It was like a living thing! It seemed to pause, then in slow motion, started to fall toward him. Before he could stop it, it landed beside him in the water.

The water started to sizzle, and Tim was jolted by the full impact of the electricity. He slumped forward, but just before losing consciousness, he heard the radio announcing "True Love", their song. His and Becky's. Everything went black.

The kitchen lights dimmed and then went completely out. Becky smiled. She picked up her shopping bag with her new dress and with purse in her hand, headed out the door. She wouldn't be back for awhile.

At Jimmy's place, Becky relaxed with a glass of red wine. Jimmy was a great lover, attentive, and always there when she needed him. It was good that he was an electrician as well. Made good money, he did!

She had to go back and report the accident. She was sure that it would be a shock to see Tim lying there, but she was determined to carry out her plans. She would call Jimmy to come and fix the electric problem after she called for help.

Becky waited about an hour and headed home. As she reached the door, she could swear she heard music. But that was impossible! The power had gone out! She opened the door and stopped short.
There was no music. The light switch was not working! Must have been her imagination, she thought. She went to the phone and called for help.

In less than ten minutes, the ambulance crew had arrived. After looking in at Tim, came out ashen faced and called the police. "Appears that he was electrocuted", they said into the receiver. Becky screamed, and then began to cry. They went to calm her. "Is there anyone you'd like us to call for you, ma'am?" they asked.

Becky gave them the name of the electrician, and told them she'd be all right. She would stay with friends until everything was taken care of.

The medical examiner pronounced Tim dead, and his body was removed. As they were taking him out, Jimmy came to the door. "What happened?" he asked.
The ambulance crew told him, and then followed the medical examiner out, after getting reassurances from Becky that she would be all right. With the house practically full of police, who kept asking questions, Becky had no doubt that she would be okay.

Jimmy had the power back on within minutes. He looked into the bathroom and went to the radio and pulled the plug. No place for a radio anyway, he thought. The medical team had drained the tub and left the radio on the floor beside it. It seemed as if the cameras had recorded every inch of the bathroom scene, and were now done with it.

After everyone left, Jimmy sat with Becky at the kitchen table. He couldn't believe that she was able to smile, but there she was, smiling at him with those beautiful blue eyes shining! He began to feel a little sick.

Becky made coffee, and they drank. It was very quiet in the house. Without a word, Becky jumped up and turned on the radio. Nothing. She looked to make sure it was plugged in, but nothing came on. She tried the switch again.

"Must have blown when the power went out" Jimmy said. "I'll get the one in the bathroom" Becky said softly. Jimmy took another drink of the black coffee.

Becky picked up the radio and brought it out to the kitchen, replacing the old radio that refused to work. Just as she was about to plug it in, Jimmy hollered "No!"

She turned and looked at him. "I can't stand the silence! I've got to have some music!" she cried, and proceeded to insert the plug into the socket.

The radio came to life; and the currents that went through her body jolted her. She couldn't let go, and the electricity engulfed her. Jimmy watched in horror. He knew better than to touch her, he would have been electrocuted too. He ran to the phone to call for help, as Becky finally dropped to the floor.

Apparently drying itself out, the radio began to play softly "Turn the radio on, turn the radio on..." Then it stopped. Forever. Like Tim. Like Becky.

Jimmy told the officers what had happened. It was unreal, they said, that a plain old radio could cause two accidental deaths. Accidental? Jimmy knew that Becky had put the radio in the bathroom for a reason. They'd talked about it. It was their plan. He just never expected that she'd be foolish enough to take a radio, waterlogged, and plug it right back in.

They left the house, locked it up and went back to their work. Jimmy stood outside for a long time, listening. Music, he could hear music! It was impossible! They had pulled the plug. Hadn't they?

He turned away and got into his car, not looking back.

In the house, the radio played with a lilting tune, a radio that couldn't be on, for the plug was out; but it didn't stop. It just played, waiting for the next music lover to turn the radio on.