SIV CEDERING FOX
227
I hit the key board. The terminal jammed. I pressed the com–
mand to clear temporary storage. It typed "cleared. " I had erased
my writing, but that didn't matter. I typed " end." The terminal
typed my name and the time of sign off.
It
said I had been on for
0:32 minutes.
I went out to get the mail, took the dog for a walk, walked
around the property to see if the previous night's storm had left
any damage. No trees were down. A small branch of white pine
lay on the driveway. The walk did not calm me, as I had hoped. I
went back into the house. I called my mother, who lives in San
Francisco, asked about her health, chatted about the kids.
Mother said, " I have to talk to you. I dreamt about your brother
... " and she proceeded to tell me the dream about the truckload
of dead fish.
Mother asked if I had received any letters from Brother, or
Father. She asked me what I thought her dream meant. I told
her, " Nothing.
It
is just a dream. You are probably worried
about him, that's all." I was really too upset to talk, so I lied and
told her someone was at the door. I hung up.
I went back to the study, sat down in the yellow cushioned
plexiglass chair, in front of the terminal, and started to dial the
data center number 212 265. .. . But I stopped. I went over to the
desk. Someone had asked me to send stories for an anthology of
works by women writers. I started to look through my manu–
scripts, but I couldn't concentrate. I called my husband, David.
David is a mathematician and a computer expert. I told him
what had happened. He has no patience with stories that even
hint at anything supernatural or metaphysical, and I could have
predicted his comment:
"Ridiculous."
I told him, "But it happened. It really did. I am upset."
"Listen, you nut," he said. "I've got to go to a meeting now.
Let's have supper early. Hey, why don ' t you give that computer
terminal of yours a kiss from me."
I sat down by the terminal again, looked at it, but decided
against signing on. I called my sister.
"I am so glad you called," she said, "I have been intending
