A scorching Saturday afternoon at home, alone with my thoughts and with the house almost all to myself. The only other occupant, my younger sister Anna, confined to her bedroom - no doubt submerged in a novel or one of her many sketches. I always found a quiet tranquility in being alone at home. There's something unique about having your own space to rummage around aimlessly. My retreat has always been my room.
Suddenly, I noticed a tiny gleam peeping through the semi-dismantled air vent that hung above my closet. It looked odd and seemed unnatural. I never remembered seeing it there before. To satisfy my curiosity, I got a chair, reached up to it and discovered an unexpected find - a hidden camera.
My blood ran cold. My heart raced, hands shaking as I carefully detached the concealed spy device. How long had it been there? Who could possibly do such a thing? Anger, confusion, and paranoia engulfed me as I ran towards Anna's room. She looked at the camera and then at my horror-struck face, equally perplexed.
Then she remembered something. Oh, your girlfriend stopped by for a while today, and I remember her going into your room for some time. I thought she came to surprise you, Anna explained.
The implication struck me hard. Why would she, of all people, resort to such an invasion of privacy? Despite being drenched in disbelief and dread, I managed to collect my thoughts and calm myself down. My heart wanted to deny this outrageous violation but my head begged to differ.
There was no proof yet that my girlfriend was involved. Still, the distrust gnawed at me. A quick text to her explaining the situation received no immediate reply. An hour went by with still no answer, my anxiety creeping ever higher. The ring of my phone brought my tension-ridden wait to an end. It was her.
Nervously, I listened to her panicked explanation. She'd found a hidden camera in her own home and came to mine in search of another one, after finding an extra in her own house. She found it and took it down but forgot to tell me due to her fear. Her confusion turned out to be another intruder’s attempt at an invasion of our lives.
Bradley: So you mean to tell me that you had the same hidden camera in your room also.
Becky: Yes I was getting a camera system for my house and I believe the technician put a camera in my room to spy on me.
Bradley: It still doesn’t make sense for a camera to be in room because you had one placed in your room. I don’t believe you l believe you put the camera up in my room.
Becky: Why would I want to put a camera in your room?
Bradley: You said you had one hidden in your room and you found it. Ok you came by here to see if I had one hidden camera and it did but you didn’t take down why?
Becky: I have to answer the other line it’s my mom calling.
Bradley: I bet it is goodbye.
The most important thing to this messed up situation is that there was no perpetrator, and she didn’t get a camera system for her house thus ending the chapter of our lives that a hidden camera had rudely disrupted and destroyed our relationship.