About Time
by Robert McBrearty
He was meditating in his favorite rocking chair in the cabin when his wife said, rather urgently, You might want to hurry with that, the enemy is about to attack.
His eyes fluttered open for a moment and he caught a glimpse of the full moon through the window. Of course, he thought, they always attack during the full moon. It was so like her to make a big deal of things. He heard the wind rattling the clapboard cabin. Plenty of time, he said, you can’t rush a meditation. He shut his eyes and focused on his breath, in, out, a wavelike movement of the belly.
She gave that certain long-suffering sigh of hers. He heard her storming about, shuttering the windows, barring the door, loading the weapons.
Really, she said, couldn’t you help a little for once?
This isn’t a good time, he said, without opening his eyes. Let me know when they arrive.
Jerk, she muttered.
There was a fierce pounding at the door. The door shuddered and creaked at the hinges. The wind rushed in. He stood up, blinking his eyes in bewilderment. My God, he said, what’s going on here?
His wife gave him that certain withering look of hers and asked, Is it a good time now?
But she was already opening fire.
Robert Garner McBrearty’s stories have been anthologized in the Pushcart Prize and widely published in literary journals including Missouri Review, New England Review, North American Review, StoryQuarterly, and previously in The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts. He’s the author of six books of fiction including A Night at the Y, When I can’t Sleep (Matter Press), and The Problem You Have (University of New Mexico Press, 2025). His writing awards include a Sherwood Anderson Foundation Fiction Award and fellowships from MacDowell and the Fine Arts Work Center.
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What surprising, fascinating stuff can you tell us about the origin, drafting, and/or final version of “About Time”? I’m always intrigued by how stories originate. For as long as I remember, I’ve had images and dreams of being under siege, people trying to break through my doors and windows. I suppose this speaks to some sense of vulnerability, of being under threat, whether that threat is real or only in the imagination. I also like to meditate, perhaps to free myself of such images. The story idea came to me when I put those two things together, being under siege while trying to meditate, as an avoidance strategy, I suppose. It probably isn’t a good time to be meditating as the man’s wife points out. The interactions of the couple, their contrasting viewpoints, helped pull the story along. One thing that happened during the drafting was that I changed the story from first person to third. I’m not sure why, but I like the story better this way. Perhaps it helps to see the story a little more from the outside looking in.
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Matter Press recently released titles from Meg Boscov, Abby Frucht, Robert McBrearty, Tori Bond, Kathy Fish, and Christopher Allen. Click here.
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