My Secret Longing

The week from hell

A week went by. I had gone for morning walks peacefully and spent my evenings on the lawn without having to look over my shoulder. Because there was no "you know who." It was a Sunday morning, and I was sitting on my lawn reading a book. When I heard the horn of a car, I didn't mind at first; I was totally absorbed in the book. But when I heard someone shouting, I looked up to see a woman standing at my gate, motioning for me to come to her. So I did.

"Could I please have some water? I got lost in this neighborhood while looking for my friend's house. I'm pregnant, and I'm feeling a little sick. I noticed you as I passed by your gate and called you," she said it all in one breath before I could even open my mouth.

She seemed tense, so I asked her to take a seat and went to get her something to drink. I made fresh lemon juice that morning and poured it into a glass instead of water. When I came out with the lemon juice, the color had returned to her face, and she looked better.

I smiled at her and said, "Have some lemon juice, freshly made this morning. It will surely alleviate your nausea."

She accepted it, and while drinking it, introduced herself. "My name is Maria," she said. She continued to speak after I introduced myself, "Thank you very much for the drink and for inviting me in. The car's closed quarters made me feel even sicker."

"I'm happy to help you," I said sincerely.

Maria looked around my living room hesitantly, making no attempt to engage in conversation. The silence became uncomfortable. "How far along are you in your pregnancy?" I asked to break the silence.

"Pregnancy, how far along are you?" I asked again, as she looked completely lost. Then she recovered and said, "Pregnancy... Yes... I am only three months." As soon as she finished her drink, she stood up to leave.

Out of concern, I asked her, "Have you called your friend to get the correct address, or do you need my phone?"

"No, but thanks," she quickly replied. "Actually, she gave me the directions when I was in the car. I am feeling OK. I will leave now. Thanks again for the juice," and began moving towards the door, as if being there made her uncomfortable.

I didn't press her anymore and said, "OK, I will see you to your car." I went to open the door but immediately backed away and closed it. "Sorry, are you afraid of dogs?" I asked her out of the blue.

She said no and that she had one. But she was confused as to why I had suddenly closed the door and asked about dogs. So I explained, "A dog is sitting on my verandah, and I am terrified of dogs. Will you be able to get to your car safely if I don't accompany you? And if you still feel dizzy, you can rest here."

She laughed at that and said, "No, thank you, I am OK now. Let me see where that dog is." When she opened the door, I too peeked through and saw that Rocky was standing near her car.

"He is wearing a collar. If he is not yours, then why is he roaming around your house?" she asked doubtfully, to know if I was afraid of my own dog.

"He's actually my neighbor's dog, but he's been following me around since I moved here. I'm afraid of dogs and have no idea why he's always here," I sighed.

"He is cute, though," Maria said with a wink.

"Yes, very big, scary, and cute," I remarked wryly. Maria smiled cheerfully and encouraged me, "Don't be afraid of dogs. They are the most friendly animals. And, once again, thank you for your hospitality."

As Maria left, I stood on the verandah and waved goodbye. But when Rocky made his way towards me, I quickly went back inside and closed the door. "So my personal tormentor returned and wasn't locked up because of me, which was a relief, but now I can't go out and read like I did last week," I sighed to myself as I settled back onto the couch to continue reading.