Downright neighborly
Received a text from a neighborhood friend who, while out walking, noticed what appeared to be an open white door on my back deck. A little zing of fear bounced through me. Reading in the living room, I get off the couch and toddle out to the screened porch. The door to the screened porch was hooked and closed. Texted back to that effect.
Return text saying she still sees what appears to be a white door, moving, on my deck. Eeeek! Yes, I checked the screen porch door, but didn’t go out to the deck and look at the white French doors from my bedroom. Panic sets in, heart pounding, I’m lying on the couch in the living room, reading, and someone could be in my bedroom! Deep (really deep) breath. I walk through the, unhooked, screened porch door onto the deck, looking for the, possibly, open (oh, please, no, no, no!) French doors. Whew. They’re both shut. Relief.
Still feeling panicky, and slightly obsessive, I move to the other side of the house and check on my front door. Closed. And yes, I admit, being a somewhat fear-based person, I rechecked the back deck, again, because, well, it makes me feel better. I’m fond of feeling better, you know?. Admittedly, the combined emotional impact of religiously watching TV’s The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Hour, during my childhood, left me with overly sensitive antenna to anything, at all, that seems out of the ordinary. Anything….(Life is not dull!)
Began to text my neighbor, detailing my multiple in-house safety checks. However, realized she might feel a bit foolish with the no interlopers outcome, despite the intent of her warning being an absolutely good one. (I like being looked after. Who doesn’t?)
Leavened my texted response, to her, with that famous, all-round social lubricant, humor, hoping to reduce any embarrassment she might feel. Shared the results of no open doors and my gratitude for her caring, but did note that my pet ghost may have begun acting out in the daytime. Her return text was a bit abashed about the incident, but did say she would send me Ghostbusters contact info once she arrived home. That’s what I call downright neighborly!