Meg
Meg hurried across the lobby at Stapleton. Getting her luggage out of this place was always such a hassle. How could any place so modern and beautiful be so inept at the simple things in life? As she watched for her plaid bag with the teal ribbons her mind drifted back to California. Kevin was keeping something from her. She could feel it. He had avoided the Gay bars when they went out. Did he do that for her or for him? Since learning he was Gay and HIV she had educated herself on the life style and the disease. It was quite a leap for her Bible Belt mentality to make, but she had done it. Now she was even comfortable with the fact that he was different. The HIV was a different matter, but his health was good and that was a relief. He tried harder than most of the kids she dealt with at the HIV/AIDS center. She stomped her foot as she watched her bag disappear around the carousel and chastised herself for being so preoccupied. This time she was ready when it sailed into view and very soon she was on her way out the door with the little bag bobbing merrily behind her on it’s tiny wheels.
The drive home had been uneventful and 2 hours later when she pulled into her drive and hit the garage door opener she was relieved to see the lights on in the house. She was sure Brice had left them on so she would not have to return to a dark house. It was almost midnight so she decided not to go check on the chickens. They were fine and she was tired. Daisy and Elvira ran to meet her when she stepped into the kitchen. Icarus, the haughty cat watched the dogs with disdain. Her time would come later, after the dogs were crated and asleep.
Meg glanced at the computer, but decided against that also. She was tired and hungry and just wanted the solace of her own bed. She got a glass of milk and 3 cookies and headed up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Daisy stopped suddenly and looked up at Meg. Meg froze in place. What was it? Nothing. Nothing at all was different. No sound. Nothing out of place. So what was it? She willed herself to relax. She knew animals could sense fear and there was nothing to be afraid of here in her home, in the hall way on the way to her bed. She reached down and scratched Daisy behind her ears. Then Elvira wanted to be petted and soon they all relaxed and the fear that she had felt disappeared. She gave the dogs a treat from the jar inside the linen closet, opened their crates and then closed the doors behind them. She never latched them, just closed them. Their crates were their security.
As Meg got her night gown off the hook on the bathroom door she thought how nice it had been in California. She knew she would need to think about a move before too much longer. The farm was great and it was her home, but it did not make sense at all to live out here in the boon docks with the nearest neighbor almost a mile away. She did not need this big 4 bedroom home and all the expense of the upkeep on it. The acre of land was not enough to make a living with, but too much to landscape and keep up with the weeds. And what were her goals? What did she want to do with the rest of her life? She undressed quickly and tossed her clothes in the hamper. She pulled her nightgown over her head and then walked to the French doors in her bedroom and pulled them open and stepped out onto the veranda. The moon was full and the view was clear. She studied the chicken house for a moment and wondered at how boring a chickens life must be. What would they think if she just went out and let them loose. Would they leave? Probably not. More likely a fox would make a meal of some of them. Best not to do that.
But something was not right. She thought about the scene before her and could not quite put her finger on what it was. She finally remembered her cookies and milk on the shelf in the hall where the dogs were sleeping and stepped quickly inside and into the hall to retrieve the snack. Then back to the veranda to survey her kingdom. As she drained the last swallow of milk from the glass she realized that what was not right before was now corrected. The light had not been on in the chicken house before. It was always on at night, but it had not been on and now it was. How could that be? There was no one here to turn it on, but it should have been on. Oh, silly, it probably had some sort of short or something. She would check it out tomorrow. If the lights were playing games, the chickens would not lay. And that was their job. Everything had to stay on an even keel.
As she turned and walked back into the house she just missed the flash of moonlight on metal as the black Jeep Cherokee turned onto the road and headed for town.
Meg hurried across the lobby at Stapleton. Getting her luggage out of this place was always such a hassle. How could any place so modern and beautiful be so inept at the simple things in life? As she watched for her plaid bag with the teal ribbons her mind drifted back to California. Kevin was keeping something from her. She could feel it. He had avoided the Gay bars when they went out. Did he do that for her or for him? Since learning he was Gay and HIV she had educated herself on the life style and the disease. It was quite a leap for her Bible Belt mentality to make, but she had done it. Now she was even comfortable with the fact that he was different. The HIV was a different matter, but his health was good and that was a relief. He tried harder than most of the kids she dealt with at the HIV/AIDS center. She stomped her foot as she watched her bag disappear around the carousel and chastised herself for being so preoccupied. This time she was ready when it sailed into view and very soon she was on her way out the door with the little bag bobbing merrily behind her on it’s tiny wheels.
The drive home had been uneventful and 2 hours later when she pulled into her drive and hit the garage door opener she was relieved to see the lights on in the house. She was sure Brice had left them on so she would not have to return to a dark house. It was almost midnight so she decided not to go check on the chickens. They were fine and she was tired. Daisy and Elvira ran to meet her when she stepped into the kitchen. Icarus, the haughty cat watched the dogs with disdain. Her time would come later, after the dogs were crated and asleep.
Meg glanced at the computer, but decided against that also. She was tired and hungry and just wanted the solace of her own bed. She got a glass of milk and 3 cookies and headed up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Daisy stopped suddenly and looked up at Meg. Meg froze in place. What was it? Nothing. Nothing at all was different. No sound. Nothing out of place. So what was it? She willed herself to relax. She knew animals could sense fear and there was nothing to be afraid of here in her home, in the hall way on the way to her bed. She reached down and scratched Daisy behind her ears. Then Elvira wanted to be petted and soon they all relaxed and the fear that she had felt disappeared. She gave the dogs a treat from the jar inside the linen closet, opened their crates and then closed the doors behind them. She never latched them, just closed them. Their crates were their security.
As Meg got her night gown off the hook on the bathroom door she thought how nice it had been in California. She knew she would need to think about a move before too much longer. The farm was great and it was her home, but it did not make sense at all to live out here in the boon docks with the nearest neighbor almost a mile away. She did not need this big 4 bedroom home and all the expense of the upkeep on it. The acre of land was not enough to make a living with, but too much to landscape and keep up with the weeds. And what were her goals? What did she want to do with the rest of her life? She undressed quickly and tossed her clothes in the hamper. She pulled her nightgown over her head and then walked to the French doors in her bedroom and pulled them open and stepped out onto the veranda. The moon was full and the view was clear. She studied the chicken house for a moment and wondered at how boring a chickens life must be. What would they think if she just went out and let them loose. Would they leave? Probably not. More likely a fox would make a meal of some of them. Best not to do that.
But something was not right. She thought about the scene before her and could not quite put her finger on what it was. She finally remembered her cookies and milk on the shelf in the hall where the dogs were sleeping and stepped quickly inside and into the hall to retrieve the snack. Then back to the veranda to survey her kingdom. As she drained the last swallow of milk from the glass she realized that what was not right before was now corrected. The light had not been on in the chicken house before. It was always on at night, but it had not been on and now it was. How could that be? There was no one here to turn it on, but it should have been on. Oh, silly, it probably had some sort of short or something. She would check it out tomorrow. If the lights were playing games, the chickens would not lay. And that was their job. Everything had to stay on an even keel.
As she turned and walked back into the house she just missed the flash of moonlight on metal as the black Jeep Cherokee turned onto the road and headed for town.
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