Toothpaste
Toothpaste
Each night he would go into the bathroom and fetch her toothbrush and toothpaste
Each night, while he was there, he would take out the syringe with no needle he kept secreted in the lavatory cistern
Each night, while he was there, he would retrieve the small set of jewelers scales he kept taped behind the pedestal of the washbasin
Each night, while he was there, he would use these items to refill the toothpaste tube to the same amount as the night before
During the years that this had been going on she had noticed nothing
But now a crisis was approaching!!!
The aging tube was starting to show signs of wear.
Several courses lay open to him
Should he stop what he was doing, allow nature to run it's course and the tube to run dry?
Should he continue, knowing that one day the tube would split and the deception be no longer viable?
Should he obtain a new tubeand, partially empying it, substitute it, taking a chance on her not noticing the slight design change of the previous year?
Or were there more possibilitieshe had not considered?
In his indecision he delayed too long, one night, in the bathroom, the tube split in his hand.
Panicking slightly he smeared toothpaste on the brush .
Then took it in to his beloved
She looked down at the brush and then up at him, for a second his heart sank
Then she said "With toothpaste, how thoughtful"
A slow and beautiful smile spread over his face as he looked forward to many pleasuable years of service.
Each night he would go into the bathroom and fetch her toothbrush and toothpaste
Each night, while he was there, he would take out the syringe with no needle he kept secreted in the lavatory cistern
Each night, while he was there, he would retrieve the small set of jewelers scales he kept taped behind the pedestal of the washbasin
Each night, while he was there, he would use these items to refill the toothpaste tube to the same amount as the night before
During the years that this had been going on she had noticed nothing
But now a crisis was approaching!!!
The aging tube was starting to show signs of wear.
Several courses lay open to him
Should he stop what he was doing, allow nature to run it's course and the tube to run dry?
Should he continue, knowing that one day the tube would split and the deception be no longer viable?
Should he obtain a new tubeand, partially empying it, substitute it, taking a chance on her not noticing the slight design change of the previous year?
Or were there more possibilitieshe had not considered?
In his indecision he delayed too long, one night, in the bathroom, the tube split in his hand.
Panicking slightly he smeared toothpaste on the brush .
Then took it in to his beloved
She looked down at the brush and then up at him, for a second his heart sank
Then she said "With toothpaste, how thoughtful"
A slow and beautiful smile spread over his face as he looked forward to many pleasuable years of service.