Martha

Chapter 8 Humpty Dumpty Grau

Chapter 8
Humpty Dumpty Grau

Saturday morning, I climbed the ladder against the left side's wall of my house. I was painting blue the wooden cornice, when I heard her. She was singing in the other side of the stone hedge. I turned on my sides and saw her planting some flowers or digging to bury something... I didn't know... 'I need to get a closer look. I'm kind of far from there.' I told myself as I managed to climb down the stairs without making noise.

After tiptoeing utterly quiet across the yard, I peeped over the fence to the neighbor's garden. Martha worked on planting some roses. Able to see only her back, a sleek pony tail tied with a pink silky ribbon fell down her arched spine... Who dares to say this woman is a witch! Witches don't wear pink ribbons!

"Do you find amusing staring at my back while I work in my garden, Mr. Grau?" Martha asked in not a so happy tone, still working on the roses.

I fell on my butt, and feeling more embarrassment than pain, I stood up. Now it was Martha peeping over the hedge down to me. Her nose barely touching the wall's surface while her blue eyes accused me. A thin mocking smile drew on her lips. Damned! I was pretty sure she wanted to burst out in laughter for I was a pitiful mixture of Humpty Dumpty and Harriet the Spy.

"Is that a custom from your country to spy people in their noses, or it is something you learned from the people of this town?" She frowned.

Yes, she was mad, and enough reasons she had for that. "I'm sorry. I was not spying you, Mss. Higgins... I... I ... was painting my house when I saw you working. I thought I could help you with your gardening." I made up the silly excuse while trying to sound convincing.

"I am afraid, Mr. Grau, that you would be of no help for me. I like to work in my garden alone. I do not like other people's company as I am sure you had noticed or been told so."

"I beg your pardon. I didn't want to upset you, Mss. Higgins. I just thought..."

"Well it is better for you to stop thinking about me, stalking or following me. I don't need or want any help, or company, or friends... or lousy neighbors that want to inquire about my personal life. A life that I've been proudly keeping to myself for too long. Saying what you needed to know, I will continue in my garden and I advice you to continue painting your house. Have a nice day Mr. Grau." And the lady just turned away and disappeared behind the wall.

Ouch!... a blow in my face. She'd just cut me off. Something I learned in that moment and it was the lady wasn't peaches and creams and she had some temper.

Yes. it was better for me to continue working in my house and leave the lady alone for once and all. Well, I could always spy her from the top of the ladder.

***

Later that night, I sat on the couch exhausted after been painting half of the house in the sun, and falling from the wall after an unsuccessful attempt to get to know a little bit more about my pretty neighbor. Because to honor the truth, witch or not, Martha was a stunning young woman. Cuddling myself on the sofa and began to read to avoid thinking on my rude yet so interesting neighbor, nonetheless there I was, realizing that I erred in my appreciation and failing because I was all wrong! Inspire of moving forwards getting better acquainted or to get extra points in this fabulist-all inside my head- friendly relationship with Martha now I was sure that I was at the beginning of nothing... I was grounded to cero, literally speaking.

That had to be the end, for better or worse, and I had to to stop the nonsense of being so stupid. This town had lived believing that Martha was a witch for years, and who was me trying to persuade them to consider it otherwise. It was not my problem after all. Everything I needed to do was to concentrate in a real relationship, like the one flourishing, still somehow neglected, between the sexy librarian and this handsome Puerto Rican professor.

My lips crooked halfway up to recall last night. It was a great start. Paula and I having dinner, then ice cream while we had a leisurely romantic stroll down the boulevard. We conversed for a while until we found a bench at the park. The moon shone a smile above us, as if she granted us permission to proceed... and then I kissed her. Our lips brushed timidly first, like a pair of teenagers, holding hands and giggling soon after. I had to refrain the urge of taking the tongue out of my mouth into hers... Ufff... they woman is pure sensuality.

Thinking on her tanned skin and womanly Latin curves makes me feel... well it hardened things out a bit here. In that moment I only wanted to give her a call, but then  I I reconsidered it. Perhaps it was too soon. Yes, besides, I'm not the type of man that likes stalking on women. Never!

While having a glass of red wine, I was totally immersed into reading Cohelo's Eleven Minutes, when the door's bell rang. Looking at my wristwatch, I realized it was quite late and I didn't expect any visitors. Well, scratch that out! Speaking of witches and maybe it was me who'd summoned Paula in my thoughts. If it was her, definitely I could give her a tour to the last room in the left, the one with the king size bed and finished what we've started last evening. Yes, it could be the night!

I cleared my throat like a teenager. I put on my t-shirt, then thought of taking it off to received her bared chest, presuming my pecs. Yes, that would turn her on... Looking at  myself in the small mirror on the wall next to the door I brushed my hair with my hands and after glowing an approving crooked smile, I proceeded to open the door.

"Good night, Mr. Grau." She said.