[ WP ] Aliens have come to Earth , not to invade , but to take us home .

* “ …traffic accident has left four victims dead and two in critical conditions. News sources say that the driver was driving under the influence, and he also remains in critical condition. ” * 
 
 
 I scoffed. Stupid kid. 
 
 
 * “ We will be keeping you updated on the conditions of the victims in days to come. Now, moving on to the Breaking Story of the night: talk of aliens? Sources say that extraterrestrial life has made contact with our planet, and that our heads of state are arranging a meeting. Live from our reporter out in DC, Larry… ” * 
 
 
 I turned off the TV set, an old model, with a bulging screen, built into furniture. I thought about the car accident and it riled me up. What a punk to be drinking and driving. I got up from my worn mahogany saffron chair, ripped at several places but still works like a beauty. The aching in my legs made me wince, and I press my hands on my front thighs, giving my old back a good stretch. 
 
 
 I made my way to the kitchen to get a sip of water. Water is good for the kidneys, good for the liver, blah, blah, blah, my wife used to tell me. I still miss her. Now, every time I drink water I can ’ t help but hear her nagging voice. Oh, how I wish I could see her fired up face, yapping away at my bad habits and telling me to take care of myself. She really cared about me, my love. And now, she ’ s gone. I place the glass cup down with a smack. 
 
 
 I went to bed, not without feeling a slight twinge of nostalgia and sadness as the pillow next to mine lay untouched. I remember how my wife and I used to chat about work, about life, and pretty much anything on this soft, King-sized bed my parents got us for our wedding. We were happily married for almost fifty years, before some drunkard ended it. I still remember that night and the anger and grief I felt, although I have done much to forget about it over the years. I shifted myself to a more comfortable position and pulled the sheets to my chin. 
 
 
 ____________________________________________________________________________ 
 
 
 Putting on my wool vest and tweed cap, I left the house for some fresh air. The front porch leads to a nice red brick path with two large swaths of grass, which now are riddled with weeds and holes. I used to love tending my lawns. I really did, but since my wife is no longer here, I seemed to have lost any care them. 
 
 
 The neighborhood is always quiet on Thursday mornings. Only a few parked cars were left on the streets, for most of the residents here drove theirs to work. Cars also rarely drive by here other than those that belonged to my neighbors, and they are all young working men and women. 
 
 
 I took a few steps down the brick path towards the mailbox. No mail. I see the morning paper lying folded several feet away. Tucking it under my left arm, I shuffled my way back into the house. With the coffee roasting in the pot, I sat down at my kitchen table and laid the newspapers out. 
 
 
 I flipped through the local Nebraska papers, and picked out *The New York Time, * my favorite. On the front page, I see a headline, familiar to something I heard last night on the news, that says, “ Extraterrestrial life contacts US government for a meeting. ” Right under it, there was a dim picture of a machine of some sort, which I believe is the “ UFO ” but of course, it looks nothing like the flying saucer. I skimmed through the story, not believing my eyes. The story vouches for the validity of this sighting and says that the President of the United States is still having a meeting with the life forms. The rest were filler text to me. 
 
 
 I placed the paper down, catching my breath for a moment. It seemed that I really missed yesterday ’ s story on TV. Seeing that the coffee was done, I poured myself a nice steaming cup. The thick aroma of coffee relaxed me a little. I knew my wife would leap with ecstasy if she found out about this. Like how she likes to nag me to do this and to do that, she would tell me about her passions for aliens and flying saucers with the same fervor, telling me this little fact and that little fact. I smiled. 
 
 
 I reached for the picture frame next to the coffee machine. It was a picture of my wife in her mid thirties, laughing and having a jolly time. She was so beautiful. I chuckled hard, all the while stifling a tear. 
 
 
 With the real sighting of UFOs and aliens on the news, I feel as if the universe was doing me a favor. It made my wife ’ s dream come true and when my wife is happy, I am happy. I knew she would be if she were with me today. I took a sip of coffee. This feels like home.
