Hugging a Stranger

Chapter 4

I woke with a start to the sound of a key turning in the lock, then the deadbolt turning. Jeff was back. The knob turned, but he couldn't open the door because of the small latch-hook on the inside of the door. And there was the matter of the couch blocking the door as well.

He started banging on the door, "Thomas? Ray? Open up! It's me."

I relocked the two locks and didn't answer.

"What the fuck? Open the goddamned door!" He banged louder. "Thomas! Ray! Open the motherfuckin' door!" He unlocked the door again and I saw the knob twist. Then he started banging on the door. "Open up!"

"Forget it, Jeff. You didn't pay, you can't stay here anymore," I yelled through the door.

"Ray! You better open this fucking door right now or I'm gonna kick your ass!"

I felt surprisingly calm as I locked the door again. I did feel irritated that he was keeping me awake when I had a game in the morning, but I wasn't all that worried that he would get in. But then he started kicking again.

"Ray! Open the door! Now!" he yelled.

I didn't answer and turned on the light. I made up my mind that if he came through that door I was going to kick his scrawny drug-addict ass. I was sick of his shit and there was no way he was going to stay here ever again. Anger started to well up in me as I wondered why I ever let him intimidate me in the first place. Just because he was loud and crazy didn't make him tough. Hell, I started to hope he would bust through that door and I hoped he tired himself out in the process. I stood there with my fists clenched, staring at the door as he continued to kick and kick, yelling at me to open up. I could see one of the screws on the latch was protruding and the wood trim on the door was starting to split. It seemed like time was passing really slowly and I wondered why he had not busted through yet. My senses were heightened and I was imagining the feeling of my fist connecting with his face, what that would feel like. I felt myself swelling with anger, a feeling I had been ignoring for a long time and now Jeff was about to give me my opportunity to put it to good use. Fear had completely left me and I felt like a wild animal ready to pounce the second he came through that door. Jeff kept yelling and hammering his foot against the door, ranting about kicking my ass, and I was ready to get on with it. I was getting so impatient I was about to open the door just so I could shut him up once and for all, but then it got suddenly quiet. I heard some mumbling and then a loud rap on my door followed by "NYPD! Open up."

It didn't sound like Jeff, but I wasn't certain so I moved the couch and unhooked the latch. As I opened the door a crack I saw a badge. The cop asked me if I lived there, what my name was, and then asked me to hand over my ID. I didn't see Jeff, but the cop told me his partner was questioning my friend and he wanted my version of what was going on.

I told him Jeff used to stay there but he had not paid his rent and I wasn't going to let him stay anymore. He asked whose name was on the rental agreement and I told him me and Carlos. He asked if I had ever been arrested and I answered truthfully, "No." He took my ID and excused himself for a minute while he stepped outside.

I sat down on the couch and waited but it was way longer than a minute. I wasn't worried about what would happen to me, but I wanted Jeff gone. After about fifteen minutes the cop returned and gave me my ID back. "Okay, Raymond, you checked out fine, but your friend won't be back anytime soon." He ran his hand over the wood trim and I asked about Jeff, "Did you arrest him for trying to break in?"

The cop laughed and said, "No, he didn't actually get in, did he? All he did tonight was disturb the peace. A few of your neighbors called it in, but he had warrants and some prescription drugs on his person that don't belong to him. They belong to a woman who got mugged yesterday. He was too stupid to ditch the bottle."