Lucky Day?

Articles

Holly Winter
Living The Life Of Holly

Lucky Day?
May 3, 2003

“Honey. Let me in. I must have locked myself out.” She called playfully through the door.

I am not usually curious, but I’ve never seen these neighbors, so I peeked out my window to see what she looked like. Bombshell. Tall. Thin. Hispanic.

“Honey. Please. Come on. Very funny. Open the door.” She giggled.

I really should take the time to get to know my neighbors. I am inside writing so much, that I rarely bump into anyone. I have met several people who live on either side of me. But this couple that lives in the apartment across the hall has just moved in. I hadn’t met them yet.

“Hey. Eric. You aren’t funny. Let me in. I want to unpack the groceries.” She called to him.

I hadn’t seen him at all, even in passing. But that doesn’t surprise me, since this is the first time I’ve seen her. I wonder why she doesn’t go and knock on the manager’s door. Oh. Yeah. Those stairs. You know. To get a key to her place. It’s three flights of stairs down to the manager’s apartment, then she would have to walk the three flights back up, then three flights back down to return the key. I imagine that sweet Eric might have relocked the door again. She is a smart woman to just wait right there.

“You know. You aren’t all that you think you are.” She said, sighing. “You are really starting to piss me off. Open the door, now.” She demanded.

Oh. This could get interesting. Good thing that they don’t share any common walls with me. I mean. They might be fun to spy on at their front door, but I wonder if they are going to be known for their yelling matches.

“Eric.” She laughed. “You aren’t funny. Let me in. I will make it worth your while…” She was playing with a strand of her hair. He didn’t appear to be looking out any windows.

It was clear that there was someone in the apartment. The music inside had just been turned up really loud. Oh. Man. This was going to get ugly. I know. I should have just gone in to read a magazine, or maybe grabbed a cup of tea.

“I’m sick of you. Open the door.” She screamed. “Open it now. How dare you treat me like this. I have to put away the ice-cream.”

I could just imagine Eric sitting inside eating the whole gallon of ice cream himself. I guess that she could too.

She started screaming and clawing at the door. “Let me in. I hate you. I hate you so much.”

You know. There haven’t been many times in my life when I have seen someone totally fall apart. I mean. Other than myself. And I wasn’t really watching when that happened to me. She completely and totally lost it.

I didn’t know what to do. If that were me, would I want a neighbor I didn’t know to come out and help? No. I just stood there wondering what to do. It was an awful thing to witness.

I had a feeling that Eric had seen it before, and preferred to watch TV.

She had a complete break down. She went from screaming and clawing and cursing, to kicking and calling and wailing, to moaning and crying. When she reached the whimpering stage, the door of the apartment next to theirs opened, and a big guy walked outside to survey the problem.

He smiled a big, lecherous smile, scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his apartment, slamming the door shut with his foot. As far as I can figure it out, she is now living with this new man.

I know. And I am still trying to figure it out. I mean. Was it this new man’s lucky day, her lucky day or Eric’s lucky day?

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About the author: Holly Winter is a teacher and a writer and a flight attendant living in Denver, Colorado, USA. She can be reached at her website or email: Holly@livingthelifeofholly.com

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