Briefcases Do Not Belong in Kitchens

In the years before the revenge she lived in a world of denial and actually she liked it there. It was comfortable and familiar and she saw no reason to move. She saw no reason to move to where she may actually have to make the very changes she denied were necessary. Some days she simple sat and wondered about those around her who could move from their personal denial to realization and then to the most feared action. That was where her fear lie. In the action.

There was someone else. She knew it in her heart but continued to push the knowledge to the back of her mind. She knew it would have to be dealt with sooner or later. She simply didn’t know how. This was completely unknown territory for her. Something she had never even considered being a possibility in her marriage.

She kept it all to herself. Didn’t share with friends or family. If she did then it would be real. Somehow she was not ready for real yet.

Then things happened that began changing her mind. The first was the day she took his briefcase to him. She spotted it in the kitchen that morning when she was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. It was Tuesday. As if Tuesday made a difference. She rushed the boys along to get ready to drop the oldest one at Mother’s Morning Out. “Come on boys! Stop that playing around, come on, let’s get you guys dressed.” She put the oldest one in the bathroom with a toothbrush and the little one in the bedroom to take off his pjs. He’s so cute doing that, like he thinks he is really doing something. The next few minutes were filled with the busyness of morning rituals. Then at last out the door and in the car.

She sang to the boys as she drove to the church. Her oldest son enjoyed these mornings with little people his age. Once at the church it only took a few minutes to unbuckle both boys, try to calm down the excitement and get them both in the door of the building. She watched the back of the oldest child’s head as he walked away from her and into the classroom. Something was odd but she wasn’t quiet sure what it was. She stood with a puzzled look on her face as the other children, one by one, looked at her son, started laughing and ran over to him. They all began asking him questions and she only heard words; “Let me see”, “where….you…get?”, “Can?”, “I want……wear”. She slowly walked the younger boy over to the group of children, trying not to make her oldest son aware of her presence and then she saw him with Groucho Marx glasses and mustache on his little face. He turned and saw her, smiled and waved his hand as he walked slowly to the puzzle area of the room. She shook her head as she walked to the car thinking how out of character it was for him. He was going to have a great morning.


Back in the car and to “Daddy’s office” she told the little one in the back seat. “Let’s go see Daddy.” He smiled and kicked his legs saying “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” over and over again. It brought tears to her eyes. “We will just take this up to Daddy, we’ll surprise him! He doesn’t know one of his favorite boys is coming to see him. Sh-h-h-h-h-h it’s a surprise!“, she whispered as she took him from the car once she was parked. They giggled together as they put their foreheads against each other and smiled. She closed her eyes and thought how sweet this little Dennis the Menace could be sometimes. He wanted to walk. She held his little hand and talked to him all the way across the parking lot and into the building.

“Good morning! What a sweet little boy!”, the receptionist said as they entered the lobby. He smiled his big toothy smile at her and then looked at his mother making sure it was okay. Mom smiled in return and ask for her husband. The receptionist said “Just a moment” as she rang upstairs. After trying twice the receptionist remarked, “He doesn’t answer his phone at the moment nor does the secretary for that floor. I’ll try again in just a couple of minutes, if you want to have a seat.”


“No, thank you. I’ll just stand and chase this little guy around.” They both smiled and nodded just as the elevator buzzed indicating a stop in the lobby. The doors opened and the receptionist gasped. The woman and the receptionist stared at each other for just a very brief moment before the woman with the child in her arms turned.  She turned just in time to see two people locked in a somewhat passionate kiss. One of them was her husband, the other one; the secretary. She turned to the receptionist, “There’s no need to try either desk again. I believe they both have been located.”

She walked towards the elevator saying, “Honey, here’s your briefcase. You left it at home this morning.” She turned and walked out of the lobby as he called her name. She never looked back all the while walking to the car singing to the baby in her arms as he called his daddy.
Revenge began to form in the corner of her mind that wasn’t focused on the ever increasing crack in her heart.


Rom 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”*says the Lord.


P K