ANOTHER SHORT STORY FOR CLASS

“I really must clean up this joint”, he thought as he surveyed the messy office. “I guess my wife Melina is right after all.  Who would want to hire me with such a dumpy looking place?”

Halfheartedly he tried to straight up his desk.  He moved things to a pile on one side and then shoved them into a basket to sort later.

A knock on the door  started him.

“Come in”, he said gruffly.  

“Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Peter Jenkins”, the woman queried.

“Yes, that’s me.  What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to hire you to tail my husband.”

She was a flashy looking dame.  Make up slathered on her face, too red lipstick outlining her mouth, short skirt which left nothing to hide, and long cheap earrings hanging from her ears.  

“Sit down and tell me about it.” He motioned to the only seat which did not have a pile of papers on it.

Her long legs, clad in black stockings, crossed  themselves as she lit a cigarette and puffed on it.  The smoke curled upward as she leaned towards him and fixed him with a stare.

“The rat is fooling around with a young  blond thing.  I want you to catch them in the act and take incriminating pictures. My friend Jennifer has told me all about you and your price is right.”  

I took the particulars and agreed to do the job but there was something which really surprised me.   It fact, in spite of my years of experience in the field, it was the first time I was tasked to track this type of situation.

I could certainly understand why she was upset.  

He was easy enough to locate as his wife said he was a creature of habit and he always did the same things each day.His gym, the library, and sometimes he went to Tim Hortons.  Time seems to drag, as the days pass, and nothing unusual was happening.  He was always alone. I hate the heat and I feel like I am melting into the seat of my car with the sun shining through the window.  In the evening, it is cooler and there are not so many people around.  I like that the best.Not the best time for surveillance though.

It was on a Thursday when I spot him coming out of the gym.  He was with a young blond person and they got into a jeep and sped away.  I reved up my car and tailed them trying to avoid being seen.

I was a few car lengths behind when it happened.  

I open my mouth to yell “look out” as the young person tries to beat the oncoming police car. Why I yell out is beyond me as I am a couple of cars behind them. Instinct, I guess.

I shudder as the jeep and the police car collide violently. I will always hear that noise, the grinding of the metals together, and the horrific sound as the two vehicles hit each other.   

Other drivers got out as did I.  Both vehicles were in pretty bad shape.  I see the young blond person through the shattered glass. Blood was flowing freely from the cut in his neck - the windshield glass had cut his jugular vein. Other drivers were trying to help the policeman but he was slumped over his steering wheel and was not moving.  Somebody had called 911 and I could hear the sirens as they approach the area.

I had a job to do and I had to do it before the ambulance and police came.  I saw my target, tears streaming from his eyes, tried to revive his passenger as I snapped the photo which would prove that they were together.  Another shot, him kissing and cuddling the prostrate form  -  the anguish on his face tragic to see, even for a hard boiled private eye such as me.  I was an expert in using the small camera which I palmed in my hand.  Nobody noticed as everybody was distracted.

I see the love in his face and the pure agony as his lover was taken away, still as death, with no vital signs.  There was no high pitched whine of the siren in a rush to get the patient to the hospital.  The form covered with a sheet.  

A broken man, unloved by his wife who only wanted vengeance for him loving another man - the young blond fellow, whose life was over.

An assignment for my class in Creative Writing

I saw her, the witch who spread those ugly rumours about me when I was young.  I could almost see her with a black tall, pointed hat on her as she poked among the tinned peas looking for, I don’t know what!

We had gone to school together back in Egypt.  She always was putting her long nose into other people’s business even back then.  Unfortunately for me, she and her husband had moved to Canada shortly after we did and settled into downtown Hamilton, just like us.

How could I avoid speaking to her in this small grocery store which sold halal meat and Middle Eastern products?

What could I do to avoid her?  Sometimes I wish I had adopted the habit of wearing niqab, at least she would not be sure who I was as long as I kept my distance and my mouth closed.. She was now arguing with the shop owner, telling him his prices were too high and she could get better prices elsewhere.

I could hear him reply quietly, as her voice rose higher and higher.

“Sister, please keep your voice down.  If you have a problem with the quality of my products or the meat, please share them privately with me.”

I could see a look of patience come onto his face.  Obviously this was not the first time he had had to deal with her.  Too bad that his store was the only halal store on James North.  It was his bad luck that she had moved to this area.

Her husband came up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder as he tried to calm her down.

“Ayesha, please……   Don’t make a fuss.”

“Ahmad, let me deal with this!  I know what I am doing.”

Both men looked at each other with sympathy as the witch kept on about the prices.

“Sister, I invite you to go elsewhere if you find my prices too high.  There are halal shops on the Mountain.”

“Why should I have to go all the way up there.  You are only about a block from where we live.

Turning abruptly, she bumped against a display of couscous and bulgur which tumbled down and sent her sprawling onto the ground.  

 

Sputtering she tore into the shopkeeper telling him that she would sue him.   I felt sorry for him as he tried to help her up. Being a hefty person, it took both her husband and the shop keeper to get her onto her feet.

I was in the back of the store near the meat counter when I saw all this, saw the mess she had created and the bag of couscous which had sprung up drifting like snow onto her fallen form.  

I tried not to laugh, but I felt vindicated that her own actions had caused this.She deserved the humiliation and in a small way, it helped me to feel better about the horrible rumour which had almost cost me my reputation back home.

Justice will prevail although it may take time.

Day one of the loss of Boots

Today was a very difficult day.  I looked for him on his two favourite spots, thought I heard him meowing, waited for him to follow me into the kitchen, but alas, that will never happen again.

When I am upset, I clean everything within an inch of its life.

I did not go to singing this afternoon nor will I go to the writing group tomorrow.  Just too sad to be around people.

My friend Rosemary needed some help with her i-pad so I went downstairs and brought some of Boots' cat food for her cat Allie Cat.  Just as I was leaving, I pointed out where I had left the bag of cat food and she asked me why I was giving it to her cat and as I was leaving, I told her Boots was dead and then closed the door and left as fast as I could.

I cannot talk about it yet in person.  Seventeen years is a long time to have had the company of such a good cat, one who was loving and acted almost like a dog in so many ways.

Time will help heal but in the meantime I will not go among people very much.

My friend Mohammad wanted to take me out for coffee but I did not want to go anywhere.  It was nice of him to try and get me out of the house.

My son called just to make sure I was all right and of course, Boots and him go back 17 years as well so it is hard on him.  My daughter and her husband Bill, also feel very bad about his death as they loved him as well.

Boots was a much loved cat not only by me and my family but friends of ours as well.

May he rest in peace.

Thanks for dropping by.

My heart is breaking

My twenty year old cat, Boots, who has lived with us for 17 years, had to be put to sleep early this evening at Beattie Animal Hospital on the mountain.

We adopted him from the pound when he was 3 years old.

They were really great at that hospital.  I stayed with him, as did my son, until he passed away which was very, very quickly - he just fell asleep with no pain.

He is now the last of all my dear animals who have lived with me over a long period of time.

I somehow don't think, at my age, I will undertake the care of another animal.  If I did, it would be a senior cat but even then I have my doubts.

Left - Boots, Right  Tiger   (both deceased now)

Boots - the inquisitive one.

He loved to do that

Boots, and in fact, all the animals that have lived with me over the past fifty or sixty years were loved and cared for.

Tiger died about two years ago at another branch of the same hospital and tonight, Boots died peacefully.

Thank you for dropping by.  Cherish your pets, your family and your friends, one never knows how long they will be with you.

RE-ARRANGING THE SITTING ROOM

Oh my, what possessed me to start even?  Was it because of the plant droppings which littered the area behind the sofa?  I had to water the poor things in any event and I think they were most grateful to have a good amount of water.   Was it because I began to feel claustrophobic?  I clean every day but certainly do not do a deep cleaning.  Today was the day.  What a day to start though.  No sleep last night, up more than half the night!  Once one starts  in one corner, it leads to another corner, and so on and so on........

As some of you know, I am in the process of downsizing which has been going on for a very long time. 

I took a big bag over to the Salvation Army thrift store yesterday.  That was good.  Have given away some very nice clothing which is still in tip top shape and which I hope will bless other people.

Trying another arrangement for the furniture which I hope will work.  I'll take pictures later on when it is finished and post them.

I get bored with things the same all the time.  I have friends who never change anything around, no matter how many years it has been the same.

Poor old Mr. Boots doesn't know where to sit right now.  I have taken over two of his sitting place but he will get them back once everything is done.

Speaking of Mr. Boots, I think he will not be with me much longer.  He is 20 years old and his back legs are not holding up him well any more.  He doesn't seem to be in any pain though which is good.  I hope he just falls asleep one day and doesn't wake up.  Usually cats try and hide when they are dying but there is no indication of Mr. Boots doing that, so hopefully he will last a little longer.

I may have to stop now as tiredness is overtaking me.   The sitting room is beginning to shape up.  Still have tons of paperwork to go through but that will take a very long time.  I do a little each day and only keep essential papers for records.

Thanks for dropping by.  Hopefully in a few days time the sitting room will be in order, except for the paperwork which will take ages more.