I'm the Boss!

                                                     Marcus Peters Loses His Cool

           

Marcus Peters never got rattled.  “Captain Cool” was a nickname his friends and relatives had for him.  No matter what the problem or situation was, he remained calm under fire.  Things like traffic, deadlines, or big presentations had no effect on his mood or personality.  Life was to be enjoyed, and he was not going to let hassles of any sort bother him.

            One early Saturday afternoon, Marcus went to a park a few miles out of town for a jog and to enjoy the outdoors.  While he was returning home, his car began vibrating in a strange way.  It bounced up and down the road, so Marcus figured it was a flat tire and pulled over to the side.  Luckily, Marcus was prepared for such a circumstance and knew to get the spare tire from his trunk, which he would put on himself. 

            Marcus opened his trunk and went outside to get the tire.  However, when he looked inside, it was completely empty.  There was no tire or any sign that there had ever been one.  He was puzzled.  He remembered buying the tire only a couple of months before and storing it in there.  Could his wife have taken it?  It was possible, but she hadn’t mentioned needing it.  He felt some unease about the situation, but he also knew he couldn’t dwell on it for too long. 

Marcus went back inside the car to get his phone and call for roadside assistance.  They promised someone would be there within the hour.  He waited patiently.  He called his wife to let her know what had happened.  When she didn’t pick up, he shrugged it off.  She was probably just away from her phone.  An hour came and went, but no one had yet arrived.  He waited a while more.  Still, there was no one.  It was beginning to turn dark.  Marcus didn’t like just sitting on the road by himself.  He no longer felt just a little unease.  He was becoming impatient. 

Eventually, roadside assistance came with a spare tire. The worker tried to lecture Marcus about the importance of always being prepared for such occasions.  Marcus said he understood that.  “Obviously, you didn’t,” the worker joked and laughed with him.  Marcus didn’t find this very amusing. 

Marcus sighed and reminded himself to not let this stuff get to him.  Soon, the man would be done, and he would be out of there.  The worker, however, took his time.  He put on the tire as slowly as anyone could.  Marcus tried to call his wife again.  There was still no answer.  The sun was setting in the distance.  It was getting darker.  He really wanted to get out of there.  He began feeling a little tense.  He hadn’t remembered feeling that way since his youth. 

About thirty minutes later, the man finished putting on the tire.  In spite of his slow service, Marcus gave him a generous tip.  The worker then tried to make small talk.  Marcus usually would have gladly stayed around to chat a bit, but he really wanted to see what was going on with his wife.  He thanked the man and drove away.  He drove at a much faster pace than usual. 

When Marcus arrived home, it was night.  He went inside and called his wife’s name.  No one answered.  He was a bit startled.  She hadn’t told him she was going anywhere for an extended period of time.  He tried to call her phone again, but there was still no response.  Then, he began calling her friends.  Some didn’t pick up, and the rest had no idea where she was.  He called relatives and even some neighbors.  There was still no luck in locating her. 

Marcus stayed at home and waited for two hours.  He was now scared.  His wife wouldn’t have just disappeared like this unless something bad had happened.  Could she have been in an accident?  Could she have had some medical emergency?  Could she have been kidnapped or even worse?  All of these possibilities raced through his mind.  He realized he was beginning to panic.  For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was feeling upset.  He sat on the sofa, tapping his fingers on the side arm.  His legs were shaking.  He had an extremely concerned look on his face.

Well into the night, Marcus’ wife returned.  When she entered the living room, he ran to her and grabbed her.  She was completely shocked.  She had never seen him like this before. 

“What’s going on?!” she asked.

“You tell me?!” he responded.

She put her hands on his shoulders.  “Well, I just went to the shore for a bit.  You know, I just wanted to get away while you were out jogging.  I did some shopping and met some people.  I even got you something.”

Marcus wasn’t even curious about what she had bought him or who she had met.  “And you didn’t tell me?!” was all that came out of his mouth.

“What’s gotten into you?!” she asked with a startled voice.  She moved back a little bit.  “I mean you go out all of the time.  And you are so relaxed about everything.  I figured you would just find something to do.” 

Marcus paused a minute before answering.  “Well, really, I had no idea where you were,” was all he could say.  “You could have called or left a message at least.” 

His wife didn’t say anything for a minute.  She didn’t know how to respond.  “Sorry Marcus,” was all that came out.

Marcus had thought nothing could make him lose his cool.  But the events of this day certainly had.