“Secure the
perimeter?” Mural Man asks.
“That sounds
like a lot of work. Later man.” Ray says hanging up.
“Did he hang
up?” Mural Man asks.
“Of course, I
mentioned work.” Tinkletoes says. “He wasn't going to help.
Besides this is my woman. My perimeter to secure.”
“He has to piss
on every tree and poop in every corner.” TP pops in giggling and
pops back out.
“That's a vivid
picture.” Mural Man says. “You aren't really going to piss on
every tree and poop in every corner are you?” Mural Man asks
looking around the room and counting corners.
“No, that's just
an expression and it only pertains to outside.” Tinkletoes says as
he walks around the room looking out the windows and at the doors
making plans. “ All that popping in and out is getting annoying.
I'm going to have to talk with TP about that.”
“Talk with TP
about what?” Writer Lady asks standing the the entryway.
“All that popping
in and out of the room.”
“He does that
when he says something obnoxious or makes a comment he doesn't want
to answer questions about. It's kind of cute.” Writer Lady says.
“Besides he doesn't do it often.”
“He does it to
me all the time.” Tinkletoes says.
“Oh. Well, it's
nice and quiet. Thanks for taking care of things in here.”
“Yeah.”
Several minutes
pass.
“Well. It's
getting really late I was wondering would you mind?”
“Mind what?”
Tinkletoes asks.
“Going home.”
Writer Lady says.
“No. I can't go
home. Not at a time like this.”
“A time like
what?” Writer Lady asks looking directly at Tinkletoes.
Tinkletoes
searches the room for a reason to stay. He looks at Mural Man for
help. Mural Man looks away and slides along the wall to the far end
of the room. He looks down at his watch. “Would you look at the
time? It's so late. I should go.”
Writer Lady nods.
“It has been a
long day. You look tired.” Tinkletoes says, heading for the door.
He stops for a moment, “I was wondering. I'm not tired. Would it
be okay if I picked the shell casings up out of your yard?”
“I suppose so.”
“Thank you.”
Tinkletoes leaves
closing the locked door behind him.
“Meow, meow.
Yeow!” Dobby calls.
Writer Lady opens
one eye and looks out from under the covers.
“Yeow!” Dobby
calls jumping up onto the bed and landing on her head.
“Okay. Okay,
kitty. I'm getting up.” Sitting up and yanking the blankets back
she thumps into the kitchen feeding Dobby on auto-pilot. She changes
the ginger tabby's water and heads to the bathroom to start her own
morning ritual. Writer Lady returns to the kitchen several minutes
later, face freshly scrubbed and teeth brushed. She makes coffee and
yawns a lot.
“Would you look
at the time? It's after nine a.m. Half the day is gone.” She
says looking at Dobby. Dobby looks up at her with big soft eyes.
“I'm sorry kitty. Breakfast was so late, forgive me?” Dobby
blinks his forgiveness. “I don't have to work today. Thanks to
your friend I don't have to mow either.” Writer Lady says
looking down at Dobby sternly. “It's going to be really hot today.
So he kind of did me a favor. But don't tell. Men like him get
obnoxious if you're too nice. I think it will be okay until next
week. I'll take a look in a minute.” Writer Lady fixes herself a
cup of coffee. While taking that first welcome sip of caffeine she
looks through the kitchen window at what can only be described as the
area that used to be her front yard. She opens her mouth in
astonishment. Closes it. Looks down at Dobby. Opens her mouth to
say something, looks back through the window and stares.
“Mom?” Dobby
asks.
“Well crap.”
Writer Lady mutters turning around and putting her coffee cup on the
kitchen counter. She tightens the belt on her robe and heads
outside.
“Well hi.”
Tinkletoes says looking up from his work. He has dug holes all over
the lawn and it looks like a colony of groundhogs have been playing
Hide and Seek in Writer Lady's yard.
“What's going on
here? What do you think you're doing? Because it looks like you're
tearing up my yard.”
“I'll tell ya.
I was thinking about your problem and I decided the best way to solve
it was to just...”
“Destroy the
yard?”
“Well yeah. You don't have to mow the grass this way.”
“Well yeah. You don't have to mow the grass this way.”
Writer Lady glares
at Tinkletoes.
“That is the
stupidest most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”
“And what's that
back there for?” Writer Lady asks pointing to the barb wire fence
that had been set up between the street and her yard line.
“That's to keep
unwanted...critters out.”
“That wire goes
up six feet! How many critters are six feet tall?”
“Bears?”
Tinkletoes asks.
“There are no
bears in this part of the state. That fence is dangerous. There
are children in this neighborhood.”
“There might be
a bear...someday. Or something tall like one. Besides,a kid will only get
near the fence once.”
“What about
the child's parents?”
“The parents
would only get into it once...they probably aren't that bright if
they do.” Tinkletoes says. “Aren't parents supposed to keep
kids in the house where they are safe anyway? You know locked up and
stuff?”
“Parents
shouldn't have to keep kids in the house all the time. Kids should
be able to play outside...” Writer Lady gestures to the barbed
wire fence, “safely.”
“Oh.”
Tinkletoes says, continuing to dig.
“What are all
these holes for?” Writer Lady asks.
“The land
mines?”
“Land mines?”
Writer Lady asks. She looks sadly at what used to be her yard,
thinking for a moment, “I don't know what is going on here, but we
are not at war. I will not have this mess. Take it down.”
Tinkletoes puts
down his hand trowel and stands up to his full height. “It's
imperative to your safety that I secure this perimeter. I wouldn't
be doing this if it wasn't. Let me finish this. You go inside and put more
clothes on. I almost saw things.”
“No.”
“No?”
Tinkletoes asks. “You're saying 'No'?”
“That's exactly
what I'm saying. This is my house and my yard. If I'm in the type of
danger that warrants all of this,” she says gesturing with her
hand, “I have a right to know about it.”
Tinkletoes pales
slightly and says nothing.
“So...” Writer
Lady says, waiting for further explanation, arms folded across her
chest.
“There is a big
danger. And barb wire fence keeps it out.” Tinkletoes says.
In a puff of smoke
everything changes, “Tinkletoes is securing the perimeter to keep
Monitor Man from the door.” TP announces giggling and disappears.
2 comments:
Good one. Very funny for us not for Writer lady. Can't wait to find out what happens next.
Thanks. :D I love hearing from my readers.
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