Walking Home

Walking Home

Jan walked home in the dark, staying on the shadow side, not out of fear, Jan could take care of herself, rather because she loved to watch people. When young, she would get fixated on someone or a group dynamic and go off into this place of intense watching without even realizing. But getting caught became awkward so she learned early how to be invisible.

Tonight, in her old neighborhood walking home after visiting her parents. It was like being a fly on the wall as she walked by window after window of people she’d known all her life. Mr. and Mrs. Grant, still as stiff as ever, watching TV as rigid as if they were at a town meeting. The Townsends, boisterous, many grown kids still at home and a few young children added since Jan saw them last.

She was coming to the stone building. The envy of her group back then, only to find out later it was so swank then, because it was a brothel! Her mother laughed when Jan said she’d always wanted to live there. Still elegant, she wondered who lived there now. She could see some interiors through the windows, the windows had always been shaded back then. She wandered closer, suddenly catching sight of one of her childhood friends! Cathy lived in the stone house now! Jan was tempted to go knock on her door, then she remembered they had not parted as friends. As she tried to remember why, a man appeared in the room.

Now Jan remembered, Cathy had stolen her boyfriend in junior high. She’d stolen many boyfriends over the years, but hadn’t bothered Jan after that once, even then Jan knew how to take care of herself. Apparently, it was time again. The man was Jan’s husband.