Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on my front porch reading when two young ladies walking down the street stopped in front of my house. After standing at my steps for a minute or two, one started up the steps and stopped on the landing in front of our porch. I'm sitting right there staring at her and yet she said nothing. She just sipped on her big red drink in a styrofoam cup. After a few minutes, I finally asked her what she's doing there...
She started into a story about how her friend had recently died and she was coming from his funeral. According to her story, this friend had once lived in my house and she used to hang out on my steps/porch with this friend. By the time she repeated bits and pieces of the story to me for the third and fourth time, I noticed that the friend she had been walking with was no where in sight. Not wanting to doubt the crying girl in front of me, but also skeptical about her story, my mind started to think the worst... was she just distracting me so her friends could break into my house from the back? was she looking to get something from me? money? food? an invitation inside? what was her aim?
As the minutes went by, I grew increasingly uncomfortable and decided I was going to go inside (and would be locking my doors and windows). I told her I was going in to make dinner and she walked down my steps and onto the sidewalk. All the while thanking me. When I got inside, it was apparent that no one had broken in or tried to.
So, I ask you... what do you think?
She did cry about the loss of her friend, but she was dressed in tight jeans and an even tighter tank-top. And she said she had come from the funeral - not exactly funeral appropriate clothing (even for the city).
The whole experience freaked me out for two reasons: 1) I was so quick to think that this girl was lying to me and that she was up to no good; and 2) I lacked the ability to show her any compassion. Obviously, my lack of compassion was due to the fact that I thought she was lying to me and was up to no good. Should I have been nicer or more understanding? Maybe she really was in pain and I was so uncomfortable around it. Unfortunately, I found the whole situation unsettling and even this morning feel like she was up to no good. Am I becoming an urban pessimist? I was so unsettled last night that I slept poorly. Hopefully I can get the whole experience out of my mind before I lay down tonight.
-----------------------------------------------------
Pictures: several people have asked for an updated picture of my belly. Unfortunately, David left our camera in Taiwan. It is en route back to the States, but until it arrives there will be no pictures. Rest assured, I am large. There is so little room left for my tummy to grow that my rib cage has actually started to expand. I have round ligament pain in my ribs and am sporting swimmers' shoulders again.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~Ferris Bueller
2 comments:
What you consider large is surely very cute to everyone else. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am actually starting to miss being pregnant. Probably because I'm not currently pregnant. :) I'm thinking the second Baby Carey will be coming sooner rather than later! Those last few weeks are really rough, probably so you welcome the pain of labor.
I don't think you're a pessimist. A stranger grieving on your porch is definitely bizarre. Was she drunk? Sounds like it. I would've done the same thing had that occurred on our "transitional" street.
I always suspect the worst, so I probably wouldn't have even stuck around as long as you did if I had been in your position.
Post a Comment