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Chapter 4

Once at the door he demanded for it to open and he looked inside. Nothing was there. Harold looked left. He looked right. Up, down, left, right, down, left, up, right. He scanned the closet 5 or 6 times while his brain processed what it was seeing.

"Janet!" he said, "We've been robbed!"

"Ha!" Janet couldn't help but let out a laugh at Harold's accusation.

"What's so funny about being robbed?!" he demanded an answer.

"Nothing dear but I doubt that's what happened," she said reassuringly.

"Well it didn't just get up and walk away," Harold yelled.

Pretending to be curious and unaware of the fact that the machine had broken she asked her No-Walk Board to take her over to the scene of the crime. As she got to the closet and looked inside she put on a puzzled face. She was really selling her being cluelessness. Harold most definitely believed that she had no idea what had happened to their Sweep-o-Matic 5000.

"I have to alert the police!" Harold said frantically.

"Please call 9-1-," he was cut off.

"Wait Harold! Don't call them! We weren't robbed. I know what happened. Here let's go back and sit down at the table and I'll tell you."

They both made their way to the table on their No-Walk Boards and once again they were plopped onto their kitchen seats. Harold at this point was looking at Janet like she was a suspect in a murder case. He was red in the face and clearly flustered. The little bit of hair he had left on his head was strewn about and there was still some tomato sauce on his face from dinner.

"Harold, honey, you know I love you right?" Janet started. "See the machine wasn't stolen. It didn't walk away either. It's not lost or misplaced. It's actually.."

"Out with it Janet! It's actually..." said Harold.

"It's actually broken! There I said it!" she exclaimed.

Boy did that feel good to tell the truth. To spill the beans as they say.

"Okay what's the big deal? Why didn't you tell me? It's no big deal. Things break. We'll just order a new one." Harold said, thinking the problem was solved.

"Well, see honey that's the thing. I'm not ordering another one. I don't want a machine to clean for me anymore."

"What on Earth are you talking about? You don't have a machine to clean the home for you? Who or what for that matter will clean then? Me? You? You must have gone mad woman," Harold said fuming.

Janet knew he would react just like this.

A bit angered by Harold's predictability she yelled back, "I found a broom in the attic, and I spent all day walking around this home sweeping and cleaning up! And guess what?! I loved it. Oh it was amazing. The most amazing feeling I've felt in years. Each sweep took my breath away and reminded me of what it's like to be human."

Harold sat there dumbfounded. 

"So you're telling me you went up in the attic, dug up that old dusty antique in the attic, and spent your day walking around here sweeping and cleaning? Wow, you think you know someone. Then they go and do something like this."

"Harold it's not that big of a deal," she yelled back. "So I like to sweep and clean from time to time. It doesn't mean I don't love you just as much as when I married you."

"That's not the point," he said, "Do you know what could happen to us if the Uppers found out what you've done?"

"Yes of course I know Harold. Why do you think I didn't even want to tell you!" she answered back.