His Eyes Only
The Johnsons’ teenage son yelled from his porch:
“I’m gonna need therapy after this!”
His mother pop him upside his head.
Mrs. Johnson: “Shut up!” “But he is right though!”
Dorothy looked around at all the neighbors, their porch lights bright like spotlights of shame. For the first time, she seemed to realize all the trouble she caused.
Dorothy: “I… I didn’t think anyone else could see…”
Neighbors: “YOUR WINDOW FACES THE STREET!”
Keisha: “Ms. Dorothy. Listen to me. You need help. Real help. This isn’t normal behavior.”
Dorothy: “I just wanted him to notice me.
Mr. Fred: “Well congratulations, The whole damn neighborhood noticed you. Some of us wish we hadn’t, but we did.”
Ralph’s phone buzzed.
Monica: “The video has over a hundred likes and shares on the neighborhood Facebook group.”
Ralph: “Oh God, It’s on Facebook.”
Dorothy: “What?!”
Mrs. Chen: “You’re viral. Just locally viral, but still viral.”
Dorothy: “My son… Marcus Junior… he’s in that Facebook group…”
Keisha: “Should’ve thought about that before you started your shadow show.
Dorothy’s phone started ringing inside pocket. She glanced at it.
Dorothy: “That’s my son.”
Mr. Fred: “You better answer it, and you better have a GOOD explanation.”
Dorothy slowly closed her door, and through it, they could hear:
Dorothy: “Hi baby…No, that wasn’t me… Well, technically it WAS me, but… Marcus Junior, let me explain…”
The crowd dispersed, everyone shaking their heads and muttering. Ralph and Keisha walked back to their house holding hands in silence.
Ralph: “We are moving, right?”
“Can’t afford to. Housing market’s crazy.”
“So we just… live next door to the bonnet lady who does shadow shows?”
Keisha: “Apparently.”
They got back into bed. Keisha turned off the light, then immediately turned it back on.
Ralph: “What?”
Keisha: “I’m not giving her the satisfaction of thinking we turned off the light to watch her performance.”
Ralph: “Baby, she’s on the phone getting yelled at by her son.”
Keisha:“I don’t give a damn. Light stays on.”
They laid there in looking at the ceiling silence for a moment.
Ralph’s phone vibrated one more time.
Unknown number: “I’m so embarrassed. I’m sorry. I’m going to my son’s house for a while. - Dorothy”
He showed Keisha.
She read it and sighed.
Keisha: “Good. Maybe he can talk some sense into her.”
Ralph: “You think she’s really leaving?”
Keisha: “I hope so. For her sake and ours.”
They both looked out the window at Dorothy’s house. The lights were all off now.
Her car was finally turned off. The street was quiet except for the crickets.
Ralph: “You know she’s coming back, right?”
Keisha: “Oh, I know. Women like Dorothy always come back.”
Ralph: “What’s next on her agenda? Sky-dancing?”
Keisha: “Don’t give her any ideas.”
TO BE CONTINUED…