Wow, what a stunning response, Ada. Really smart and inquisitive.
“I’ve been out of town.” Eyes squinted, he looks around.
Tom is honestly just the most normal guy ever. Dark brown hair, moderately tall, and definitely has some French-Canadian heritage judgingby his face shape. He looks like every fourth guy in New Hampshire. Today, he’s wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, Timberland boots, and the faded Red Sox baseball cap that must be issued as uniform around here. Although overly nosy and protective, he’s never beenthreatening, I suppose…
“Out of town? As in… not here?”
“Yes.” He hands me his phone as his other hovers toward the back of his jeans.
It’s open to an airline app, showing a boarding pass that was used earlier today. If this is right, he could have only been home a few hours… and hedefinitelydidn’t put lights up on my house.
Turning to me, his face hard, I yelp when I see the small gun clutched in his hand.
“Ada, sweetheart, did someone come to your house?”
I fucking hate that he calls me sweetheart, because I’m not, but now doesn’t exactly feel like the time to address it. Between the gun and the terror creeping up my spine like a choking black fog, I’m barely holding back a scream.
Because if Tom didn’t put up my lights… who the fuckdid?
Hardly anyone knows I live here. Certainly no one has my old number.
I can’t make sense of it anymore, and I indisputably can’t do this right now.
“No! So sorry, actually it was a joke!” I laugh, hoping it’s convincing.
He furrows his brow, indicating behind him to his house. “Are you sure? Why don’t you come inside, sweetheart? I’ll make some coffee, and we can figure all this out.”
“Oh gosh, no, I don’t want to take up your time. I’m sorry again about the joke. It wasn’t very funny, was it?”
“No… but that’s?—”
“Anyways, I forgot I have a meeting I need to get to, my clients need me so much, you know!” I’m babbling, backingup into my portion of the woods. I don’t even really know what I am saying, I just know that I can’t have this next breakdown in front of my neighbor. My neighbor who issokind and helpful to me that I just accused of trespassing.
“Thanks, Tom, bye!” I call over my shoulder before turning and walking backward toward my house. I try to be nonchalant, but as soon as I am out of sight, I’m running.
It’s one thing if it’s Tom, I know how to deal with Tom… but a random person is another story.
I’m done with this shit. I feel safe in only one place in theentireworld, and now someone is making my own house scary? No way.
Maybe I should be freaking out, but now? I’m pissed. As soon as I’m close to my house, I whip out my phone and hit the number for the local police department. It only rings twice before Myrna, the daytime dispatcher, answers.
“Hill PD, this is Myrna, how can I help you?”
“Hey Myrna, Ada Kimball here. I’d like you to send out a couple officers, I’ve had an issue with…” I pause because trespassing sounds too mild. “Someone breaking and entering.”
“Breaking and entering?” she pauses. “Ada, dear, are you sure? I know you had that scare last year and?—”
That scare. She calls me getting fucking mugged a “scare.”
“Yes, Myrna, I’m sure. Please send someone down.”
“Okay, okay, I just don’t want us to waste your time coming down there and all…”
Really, she doesn’t wantmeto wastetheirtime. But this is Hill, there isn’t anything else going on, I’d bet that whoever is on duty is parked down in the grocery store parking lot, drinking a Dunkies, and listening to Bob and Tom unless there’s a Pats game on, that is. They can take ten seconds to do their job.
“Thanks, Myrna.” I hang up the phone and take Henry back inside. He’s shivering a little bit. I’ve had him out in thecold for too long. Calling for help has really got me feeling a lot calmer. I’mdoingsomething about my problems now, and it’s not all on me.
Maybe I rub Henry down with the towel a bit more vigorously than usual, but I can’t help it, and his old bones seem to enjoy it, anyhow. His tongue lolls out of his mouth, and his tail keeps batting against my legs. Yeah, he loves it. I guess I need to give him vigorous pets like this more often.
