Columbines


FLOWERS AND SCARY PEOPLE

We bought ourselves a trailer.

It was so sweet and cozy!

I was thrilled to pieces with it.


We had it moved to a trailer park

where people had flowers and welcome signs


in front of their trailers

so I went right out and bought columbine impatiens sweet peas

to plant in front of our trailer.

I wanted a welcome sign

but Larry said that could wait.



The only thing wrong with it

was that the stacked washer and dryer

didn't work right

because the washer never got the clothes dry enough

to put in the dryer.


They were always still soaking wet

after the spin cycle.



Larry called the manufacturer

and they sent a guy out

on a Saturday

to fix it


and we chatted while he worked

and I made the mistake of telling him

that Larry worked 16 hours on Saturdays

and never got home until midnight.



So he said to me

"That long, huh?"

"Let's go to bed and have some fun..."


I was shocked right down to my Christian soul

and ran outside

to get away from him.



He came out with his black box

full of tools

slid them into his truck

and said


"I'll be back tonight

and if you don't let me in

I'll break in."


I called Larry at work

and told him what happened

but if I thought he was going to beat his breast

and come home to save his damsel in distress

I was wrong.



Larry was like a duck

and things rolled off his back

so he said to me

"He was just trying to scare you.

He won't come over tonight.


Don't worry about it."



As soon as night fell

I locked all the doors and windows

turned off the air conditioner

went into the bedroom

huddled down by the bed

and waited.


I felt silly

sitting on the floor

scrunched up


but I was scared.



He came

and rattled the doorknobs

and banged on the windows

and beat on the side of the trailer with sticks

and cussed


and I didn't breathe

but I prayed

that the Lord would wrap His arms around me

and keep me safe.



After a while

I heard his truck start up

and stones from our driveway hit the trailer

and he left.


That night, in bed

I told Larry that he had come

and I had proof because of the chips in the paint on the trailer

from the stones and the sticks


and he said

"These trailers aren't built all that well

so if he really wanted to break in

he could have."


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This story is a continuation of Diary of a Preacher's Daughter.
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