After teaching college writing and literature for twenty-five years, WAYNE SCHEER recently retired to follow his own advice and write. He's been published in Flashquake, E2K, The Phone Book, and StoryOne. In 2002, he was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

                                                       someone important


Kathleen had been married to Philip for five years.  It seemed much longer.

Sitting alone in her recently remodeled kitchen, the Italian marble tile glistening in the sunlight, Kathleen wondered if she had a right to be unhappy.  Her home was lovely, her clothes tasteful and she was married to a loyal, hard working man that everyone, including her mother, adored. Even her two-year old, Amber, was a perfect child.

As Amber napped, Kathleen called Karla, her older sister.

"You're not happy?" Karla asked. "I'll trade my husband for yours. What do you have to be unhappy about?"

She called her mother.

"Hi darling. How's my granddaughter? How's Philip?"

"Fine.  Mom, I was thinking..."

"Oh dear, has Amber worn that adorable lavender dress yet? I'd love to see her in it."

They arranged to meet for lunch so her mother could see Amber in her new outfit.

Kathleen sat alone in her lovely new kitchen waiting for her daughter to wake.

She dialed her husband's office number. "Philip," she asked as soon as he answered. "When did I become Kathleen?  I always used to be Kathy."

"Kathleen, please hold," she heard Philip say. "I have someone important on the other line."

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© 2003 Wayne Scheer