CLOSE CALL, SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME, WHEN I GROW UP

The ultimate combo feature...three in one.

Walking out of the library with both arms loaded with some good week-end reading, Myrnie's mind went to how much she was craving this time alone with her books and a recliner on her back porch. A week-end with no obligations, no plans and no intrusions. It had been months since she had real quality personal gratification time. It was now within her sites. 


A stop at the local pizza shop would provide her dinner for one and a second stop at the deli downtown would fulfill her culinary desires for the entire two days of solitude. The deli sold the best old fashioned smoked turkey she had ever eaten and a few slices of Swiss Lorraine cheese would top it off nicely. She would also select a couple of different salad offerings to round out her meals. Oh, and a small but wonderful cake. The deli owner had a gift for baking the most delightful of cakes and offered them in small sizes perfect for a single diner.


Myrnie had no plans to touch her keys or go near the front door once she arrived home this evening until Monday morning when she had to return to her workplace. She loved her job and never felt like it was a chore to go to work, but right now, that job didn't matter at all. Nothing mattered except that she needed, and hadn't had in a very long time, a couple of days all to herself. Just time to completely relax and thereby re-energize her inner being. Stress had taken its toll and always being there for everyone who needed her had exhausted her finally and now, it was her turn.


As she pulled into the parking place for the deli stop, she noticed a very attractive woman entering the same door she was going to enter momentarily. She took an extra minute to secure the pizza box on the back seat, it didn't seem very stable on the front seat. Then she entered the deli. She ordered her turkey and cheese from Mr. Novak and headed over to the cake display. The attractive woman was holding a box from the same display. Mynie's favorite cake was not in the case. It was a red velvet with cream cheese frosting and it was the one she could already taste. The last small version was in the attractive girl's hands. Drat! Next choice would be the devil's food with peanut butter frosting, also good, but not red velvet. 


"Mr. Novak, do you have any more red velvet?" She asked, knowing they would all be in the case.


"Not if there aren't anymore in there, Honey. Sorry."


"It's okay, I'll have the devil's food, I guess." Her voice may have shown some disappointment.


The attractive girl looked directly at Myrnie and said, "Here, please take this one. I just picked one up, I also love devil's food with the peanut butter."  Her outstretched hand offered the prized cake and Myrnie didn't give her a chance to change her mind.  She accepted the gift.


"Thank you, so much. This is my very favorite and I'm sure you'll enjoy this one, it's fantastic, too."  They both smiled and the attractive girl went back to shopping the other cases for crackers and whatnot.  Myrnie went to the counter to collect her meat and cheese and then on to the salad.
Her thoughts, "Whew, that was A CLOSE CALL, nearly messed up my perfect week-end."




All the errands were complete and Myrnie drove along the winding roads to her small but cozy home in the middle of a little neighborhood south of the downtown rush. Though she was less than 2 miles from the hub, her house and neighborhood felt very countryfied and very private.  The best part for her was that although she had a nice privacy fence around her backyard, which she loved, she also had people all around her, which she also loved. This house was her retreat from the real world sometimes and this week-end was all about retreating into herself.


A few minutes after arriving home and carrying in all her purchases, she took her pizza and an ice cold beer out to the back porch and started one of the several books. She found herself looking out over the back fence repeatedly, was there someone outside behind her? The yard backing up to hers had not been occupied for months. The owner was not able to walk outside safely and hired a neighbor to mow for him. He could sit on his porch, but the uneven lawn was too hazardous for him to navigate alone and he was alone all the time. Was she hearing something or just feeling something? Was someone watching her through the fence? 


Only one way to know. She lifted herself from the chair and leisurely strolled around the fence line looking down at her rows of flowers as she went. All along the back fence she raised her eyes to any spot where one might be able to see through. Nothing. Nothing. Then something. A pair of eyes were looking through at thigh height. She bent to see more clearly. It was the face of a beautiful German Shepard Dog looking, tail wagging and silent. 


"Hi Fella. What's your name? Who do you belong to?" She spoke softly and the dog responded with silent mouth movements. The tail moved faster. He was very friendly. She stood and returned to her own porch. The old man had gotten himself a dog and SOMEBODY WAS WATCHING HER with soft brown eyes. She liked the idea of the old man having this sweet and beautiful dog by his side and inside his fenced lawn behind her. She didn't mind thinking the dog might always watch over her yard, as well.  What a nice addition to her neighborhood.


Her perfect week-end continued and every moment of it felt just like she knew it would. The hours passed very quickly and yet, she felt relaxed, refreshed and got completely lost in her books. She managed to read cover to cover 4 excellent books and had 2 more to read later. She had enjoyed her turkey and swiss sandwiches and the cake. Oh, the cake! This week-end was coming to a close with a long steamy bath and one more book to take to bed. She would start it, but knew it would be laying beside her Monday morning when she awoke for work.


Exactly the week-end of favorite foods, solitude, no phone, great books plus the new friend behind the fence, she had longed for.


Drifting off to sleep Myrnie thought to herself, "WHEN I GROW UP these week-ends won't exist anymore. I might even have children and a husband with whom I will want to share my down time, but for now, what a wonderful choice I made. My time for me to just be me."


Jo