The Journals [Spider Bite]

A little more than five years ago, I moved out of my house, never to return. I had lived there with my second wife for more than ten years. Today, I’m going to write about one particular event, an incident that happened a few months before I left.

I woke up startled from a dream about a giant black spider. My wife was preparing to leave for work, but before leaving, she told me something. I can’t quote her, but I remember my wife telling me something to the effect of [check your leg or take a look at your leg]. Anyway, it was something like that.

When I did examine both of my legs, I discovered that I had been bitten by something. The bite was fresh, but I didn’t know what got me. Throughout the day, things got worse instead of better. Around noon, I had a bright idea. Why not send a couple of pictures to my wife. My ex-wife is a nurse and has worked in the medical field all of her adult life.

I sent my wife two or three pictures, hoping she would show them to one of the doctors. Unfortunately, she not only didn’t help me but failed to even respond to my message. Such was our relationship—a relationship between one who does not care, and one who cares enough for both. I was the latter, of course.

After doing some research, I discovered that my bite had come from [you guessed it, a spider]. Later that day, I found one of my cats playing with something in the hallway outside my bedroom door. It was a dead spider. With the help of a magnifying glass and the internet, I was able to validate the species as a Brown Recluse.

I dreamt of a black spider and was bitten by a brown spider. I’m not entirely sure how my wife knew that I should check my leg. However, I do have my suspicions. If you knew the whole story, I suspect you would have one as well. Those were the darkest days of my life, and that’s saying a lot.

As troubling as that situation was, it’s not even close to being the worse thing that happened to me during my second marriage. In fact, it’s not in the top ten. As I said, those were dark times. But that’s okay, because everything we survive . . .

Well, you know the rest.

Joseph Shanklin

August 8, 2020