A Distant Memory

"They will die, including CJ," she heard him say one night. "Sshhh, you're drunk again," his wife tried to quiet him. "Uhhhh-ohhhh!" His voice was louder with a hint of disdain. The door closed, and she could only hear murmurs.

He was obviously drunk, and thankfully, he found his way home, unlike in the past when he used to sleep wherever he was. Did he know she was in their guest room and intentionally say those things for her to hear them?

She felt her body go numb, and it was as if cold water had been poured on her. As she tried to calm herself and carefully process her emotions, a big question came to her: What has she done so wrong that her brother-in-law wishes her dead?

She sat up in bed, blanket wrapped around her body. Her gaze fixated on the door, not that she believed he would barge in and kill her, but it was the first spot her eyes landed as her mind replayed memories, trying to figure out where it went south. But she could only go back to a certain extent, as she was mostly away when her sister started dating him, and she wasn't around too, on their wedding day.

"Maybe I just misheard it," she spun a narrative to convince herself, and went back to sleep.

The next morning, she stepped out of the guest room just as she normally did. "Last night was but a bad dream," she reminded herself. She didn't wish to have any awkwardness between them. She made breakfast, played with the kids, thanked and bade them adieu afterwards, driving away still puzzled, but with a light heart.

"Aaah... so that must be it!" A sudden thought came to her. She laughed out of relief. She remembered they were still having problems with the property they bought (it was she who recommended it). She pulled over and dialed her sister's number. She inquired about the issues and asked if they were willing to pay extra for the road right-of-way, which the landowner wishes to close, saying it wasn't part of the deal (although it was). She said yes and agreed to meet the owner.

She called the seller and arranged to see them in the afternoon. There was a bit of a push and pull, but they eventually reached a mutual agreement. Everything was settled, boundaries, and such. Problem solved.

And the death wish thing?

Tossed out of the mind's window.

The relationship is still warm and intact. And most importantly, the brother-in-law stayed away from alcohol and has remained sober for years now. Life's good!