"Clocks" by Jesse Lee Kercheval

Clocks

Jesse Lee Kercheval

Jackie was my new best friend.

She lived in a ranch house at the end of the block.

On the outside, it looked just like the house my parents had rented.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

85

But inside . . .

Clocks.

Some so valuable they arrived from museums in armored cars.

86

CLOCK S

Jackie lived with her Uncle Otto.

She told me he was a horologist.

Uncle Otto was actually Jackie’s great uncle.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

Her father died in a war but Jackie never talked about him.

87

88

CLOCK S

Her mother lived in Japan.

Every year on Jackie’s birthday, she told me, Her mother sent her a doll.

My favorite looked like Jackie.

But that year on her birthday no doll had arrived.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

89

Uncle Otto gave Jackie a clock.

And to cheer her up, he arranged with my mother For me to spend the night.

90

CLOCK S

It was hard to fall asleep with clocks chiming every five minutes but eventually I did

and slept until midnight when the house shook with bells.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

Jackie woke up.

“Come with me,” she said.

91

92

CLOCK S

We went down to the basement. There was a safe and she opened it.

I expected there would be clocks inside. Gold ones. Or ones with jewels.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

Instead, when we stepped through the door, we were outside,

but not in Jackie’s backyard,

93

94

CLOCK S

in a forest

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

with animals.

95

96

CLOCK S

Jackie pointed.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

Through the trees

I saw a woman.

97

98

CLOCK S

Jackie ran toward her, “Mother!,”

leaving me behind.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

I was alone in the forest.

Absolutely alone.

Then I wasn’t.

99

100

CLOCK S

I was in an old inn and Otto was there.

“It won’t make her happy,” he said and I knew he was talking about Jackie.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

“They have the best strudel here,” he said.

And they did.

101

102

CLOCK S

Then we walked back to the house.

J E S S E L E E K E RC H E VA L

“What about Jackie?” I asked.

“I’ll leave the door unlocked,” he said.

“She always comes back.”

103

104

CLOCK S

And he was right.

When I woke up in the morning Jackie was there.

Before I opened my eyes

I could hear her crying.