For the Record

For the record, I have no idea where this story will lead. Let's just say that my original assumption was totally off the mark. I did not think this could ever happen in my lifetime. Now that it has happened I am not sure if I would change anything if I could. I met the fellow on a street corner and took him home. It was not unusual for me to do this. I have rescued lots of fellows along the way. This particular gentleman was fairly decent and open to all my suggestions. Had I known now that it was not to be I probably still would have brought him home. I fixed a bed for him and fed him before turning in myself. He was amiable to sleeping in the living room with the television on and snacks laid out.

The next morning I wake up, forgetting that I have a houseguest and proceed to my bathroom to shower and shave and get ready for work. The door was closed when I got there and I remembered the fellow that I had picked up the night before. I went to the living room and straightened up the room. I turned the television off and went into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. I made my new friend some food and sat down and waited for the fellow to finish in the bathroom.

Twenty minutes pass and I am getting anxious to get my hygiene completed before I leave for work. Then I remember the door to the bathroom sometimes sticks. I knock on the door and announce that I need to come in and push hard on the door. Yes, my new houseguest had locked himself in the bathroom and promptly vacated the room when I opened the door. I said a hurried, 'Thanks' and proceeded to take my shower and shave my stubble.

I return to my bedroom and get my work clothes on and I go back into the kitchen. I grab the coffee pot and fill up my thermos and head out the door. My houseguest never looks up from the breakfast he is munching on as I slip out the door.

My daily commute is an hour long and I have a time to contemplate what could be transpiring in my small abode while I am away at work. My nerves are tingling and I am regretting leaving the poor fellow alone. I swallow bile that is creeping up from my stomach and search for my heartburn tablets. I toss one in my mouth and wash it down with my coffee, scalding my tongue.

At work, I sit at my desk and try to concentrate and focus my mind on my work. I have a project due that cannot be delayed any longer and my boss has been checking on my progress every thirty minutes. Finally, I am finished and hand the document over for her to approve. I close up my computer and head back home with a feeling of dread.

I pull into the driveway and see my houseguest looking out the window and suddenly disappearing into the interior of the house. I hurry to get my things and head into the house. He flies out of the house when I open the door and vanishes around the corner of the house. I quickly put my things down on a table inside the door and go to find him.

He is in the backyard staring at the neighbors house. He sheepishly follows me back into the house. I look in horror at the destruction of my once serene home. I grab the broom and dustpan and a trash bag and start cleaning up the mess. He watches me and cowers on the couch. I point to the door and scream, "OUT!" He gets up and I hold the door open. He walks to the door with his head drooped to his chest. Before he walks out the door, he takes one last look at me. I don't have the heart and I close the door before he can leave. He turns and walks back into the house and with joy in his stride, he does a little dance.

I finish cleaning up the living room and I straighten up the kitchen and fix dinner. I am halfway through the dinner when I hear the most awful noise outside. My guest runs to the window and gestures for me to come over and see. I walk over and pull the curtains back. I see my neighbor dragging something heavy across his backyard. He tosses it into a large hole that he had obvious dug during the day. He covers the something up and goes back in the house. My neighbor has always buried trash in his backyard so I tell my houseguest that it is nothing new and not to worry about the neighbor's strange habits. I live in a rural section and we do not have trash pick up in our area. So you either haul it to a dumpster, burn it, or bury it. He takes my word for it and heads back to the kitchen while I continue to prepare our meal.

I wake up the next morning and get out of the house on time. I had fixed the bathroom door the night before, so that the latch would not catch and trap my new houseguest. I go to work and cannot get the neighbor's actions off of my mind. I am distracted all day. I finally tell my boss that I have to leave. I rush to my car and head straight home.

The house looks the same as always and I don't see my fellow looking out the window when I arrive. I open the door and he plows past me, heading to the backyard. When I find him he is in the neighbor's yard furiously digging. To my horror, a hand appears in the dirt and my new friend looks up at me and barks. We run back into the house and I call the Police. I pat my new fellow on the head and he looks up at me and grins with his tongue hanging out of his mouth while wagging his tail.