The Fence

The Intrusion

As long as Norma can remember, she always loves fences. Her days are marked by the sunlight cascading through the gaps in the white stretch of white pillars that her father built around their yard. She thought people called it the Picket Fence. 

She has her favorite spot. The old reclining chair by the side porch overlooking the small garden patch to the right and the kitchen to the left. Norma loves to lean back and tilted her head in a way that it is aligned at a certain angle to the fences that the white picket fences seem to be marching and winding along the curve of the yard. 

Then there's the sunlight. in the morning, she will have her breakfast while watching the sunlight beams on the white paint. Afternoon, brought darkness to her side of the face as the shadow grew longer and then disappear as the darkness engulfed the world. It was something about the fence that separates yet connect the same but different part of her 'world'.

Until that morning, when she caught a haggard looking young man wandered in their yard. Dirty and dishevelled, he allowed himself to walk right into the yard. Shameless! Is he a criminal on the run? Norma thought to herself. She dared not speak or make a sound fear that he will hear and harm her. No sound in the house. All was still.

He opened the screened doorthat connect the inner house and the side porch. Norma can see the fences muchclearer now as the sunlight shone and reflected by the white paint of thefences. The young man. The dirty man went inside the house and started to walkaround. Norma froze in her space. 

The young man turned and looked directly ather. Then he sneered and smiled mockingly. He wiped his nose with a dirtykerchief. Then he walked closer and closer to Norma. He smelled of old cutgrass and morning dew. Then he walked away toward the side porch. He trippedover the foot of the reclining chair and fell. He rolled on the wet morninggrass. Norma almost chuckled for the curse that befall on him. That what youget for unauthorized entry to people property.

He slowly stood up and continued walking towards the fence. He stopped and looked at his hand. There was dirt on his hand from the fall. He smeared the dirt to Norma's white painted fence and smiled... another mocking smile to Norma. Then just like that, he leapt and disappeared to the other side of the fence.

She can breathe now.

(part 1/5)