Allen was born blind. His childhood was spent nestled in Momma's overprotective bosom; he even slept in the same bed as Momma. This left the poor adult Allen unable to deal with the world and he became a severe agoraphobic. The one bedroom apartment he resided in was sparsely furnished with a television, love seat, twin bed and a lamp. His only connection to the outside world was the telephone and noise of the T.V. Allen was on complete disability and even had his meals delivered to him daily.
Momma eventually left him to fend for himself to begin a new marriage, but she still called him every evening to say Good night to her little boy.
“Come see Momma,” she would cajole to Allen. “You could take a plane and I will be right at the terminal to meet you when you land.”
Allen would shiver at just the mere thought of leaving his tiny apartment, let alone the entire apartment building. Momma set him up in this apartment before she left and Allen planned to stay put until death forced him out.
* * *
One afternoon there came a soft knock on Allen's front door.
“Lunch,” rang a cheerful female voice that sounded completely familiar, but Allan just could not put his finger on that southern accent.
“Come in,” Allen answered.
“It sure is dark in here!” the lady exclaimed as she stepped in the room with a tray of roasted chicken.
“Doesn’t matter to me,” Allen answered matter of factly. “I’m blind.”
“Light is not only for the sighted people,” the lady explained. “It is imperative for a healthy soul!”
Allen forked the chicken, “I suppose I can see it your way, No puns intended,” Allen smirked.
“I have a light bulb in my car. Let me fetch it for you?”
“Sure,” Allen shrugged and the lady left the room.
A few minutes later the lady returned and screwed the bulb into the lamp on Allen's floor.
“OK, this bulb can do something for you no ordinary bulb can.”
“Sure, lady,” Allen entertained her silly words and sipped his coffee.
“No, really. When you turn this lamp on the bulb will illuminate your world, interanlly and externally.. You will then see what the bulb has to show you.”
“Why give me this magic bulb?” Allen humored her.
“Because you are going to give me something small in return.”
“OK, take whatever lady. I don't have a single thing I would miss.”
“Thank you,” the lady clapped. “When you turn on the lamp it signifies the signing of our contract.”
With that the lunch lady left. Allen immediately switched on the lamp and just about fell face first into the floor, his brown carpeted floor. Allen could see! He spent the whole afternoon looking around his apartment, watching television and gazing out the window. He saw the world for the first time with new born eyes.
Allen called his mother that night and excitedly told her of the news.
“Impossible!” she exclaimed. “I am flying in this weekend to take you to the doctors, maybe a psychiatrist!”
Allen snorted at his mom and hung up the phone, he had television to watch.
The weekend finally arrived and Allen was eagerly waiting for his mother's knock on the door. It finally came right before midnight; Momma must have had a late flight.
“Come in!” Allen called eagerly with a huge smile, but that smile quickly faded.
“What? Not happy to see Momma?”
Allen finally placed that lunch lady's familiar twang. All Allen could do was babble nonsense as Momma bent over him with her eyes closed. Her skin was completely translucent and Allen could see hundreds of featureless figures emitting a doleful moan as their bodies circled the window of Momma's skin.
“I see you have not accomplished much with the present I gave you, what a shame.” The Momma beast finally opened her closed eyes and Allen could see his fate. “You see eyes are not only windows to the soul, but they are windows for the soul. Now turn out the light Allen; I don't want you to see Momma tear your soul apart.”
"The Light Bulb Collector"
Copyright: © 2011 Stacy Bolli
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Great little story w/ a twisted ending. Nice work.
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