The Unwanted Intruder
THE UNWANTED INTRUDER
by
Clem Mason
(age-6-10)
(wc-1410)
My name is Lisa Miller and I’m six and a half. I’m afraid I’m going to lose my house key at school and have to wait outside until momma gets home from work. I don’t want her scolding me for losing the key. I won’t lose it on purpose, you know. If it’s raining, I’d get wet and she would really get mad at me because I’m not…healthy. She would scold me and then feel bad and say she was sorry. She worries a lot about me being here alone.
My daddy was killed in Iraq when I was only two so I don’t remember him at all. I’m sorry I don’t. I know I wish he was here because momma remembers him and she cries a lot. That was four years ago when he was killed.
Because we don’t have much money, we move a lot and every time, I have to go to a new school. I sure would like to stay here because I like this school a lot because it is only two blocks away and I can walk. Momma don’t like me to walk because of strangers. So I have rules. I have to come straight home and stay inside and never answer the door for any reason. She has been thinking about getting a dog but he would have to stay outside all day and momma says that would be mean. I hope we can get one.
She told me to make sure I have the key ready and make sure there isn’t anybody lurking around. I’m to unlock the door and come in and lock the door as fast as I can. I never thought about what would happen if someone or something was already in the house when I got home. I just never thought about it. I always felt safe once the door was locked. So, when I saw it, I screamed my head off and ran outside. I was sooo scared. I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t suppose to go outside. We have no phone where I can call momma. If we did have a phone, I’d have to go back in to use it and I’m not going in there, I don’t care how much trouble I get into.
Then the old man that lives next to us sees me out in the front yard with no coat on. He stood up and came to the edge of his yard. “Is something wrong,? he asked me.
I didn’t say anything because I’m not suppose to talk to strangers. I just stood there, shivering. Well, he just stood there too and wouldn’t leave me alone. I can’t go back in and I can’t talk to the old man. I started to cry. I really hate when that happens. I cry real easy.
“Can I help you,” he asked.
I swallowed hard. “There’s a snake in the house,” I said.
He stood tall and smiled. “Is it a big snake,” he asked.
I thought about it and I thought it was. I just shrugged.
“Do you want me to get it out of the house for you?”
I wasn’t suppose to open the door. I must never invite anyone in. I didn’t know what to do. “I am so afraid of snakes but momma don’t want you in our house.. I can’t let you come in and I can’t stay out here.” I started crying harder. “I wish momma would come home.” He didn’t laugh at me and that make me feel good.
“Suppose you wait outside while I go get it and bring it out. Don’t you go in until I come back out. Is that a good idea?”
I shrugged again. “Okay.”
He took off his coat and put it over my shoulders. It sure was warm. “By the way. My name is Ernest. Where did you see the snake,” he asked”
“My named is Lisa and I saw it in the kitchen,” I told him.
He goes in the house and he tells me everything he does. “I’m going in the kitchen now Lisa, but I don’t see it right away,” he hollered. Then I heard him grown. “I’m getting down on my hands and knees now and looking under the water heater. Oh, I see it now.” I heard him mumble something and then he hollered again. “I got it.”
I was so relieved. I hope it didn’t bite him and he would swell up and die. I didn’t want that to happen. He did seem like a nice man.
He came out with his hands cupped together. “Do you want to see it,?” he asked.
I’m sure I gave him a look because he laughed real hard then.
“I’m going to go turn it loose in my garden out back.”
I couldn’t believe it. “You’re not going to kill it?”
He got a surprised look on his face. “No, Lisa! He eats bugs and other garden pests. I couldn’t kill it with just cause.”
“Well, I could kill it because it’s just a yucky old slimy thing,” I said.
He laughed and nodded. He went to the back of his house and disappeared. I didn’t see him again until I came home from school the next day. He was sitting on his porch and just waved. He didn’t speak.
Then he came over after momma got home to introduced himself. I could tell momma didn’t want to let him in. She stood behind the screen door. He apologized for being a bad neighbor and not coming over earlier. Then he let the cat out of the bag and told momma he had come in and got the snake out of the house. I’m not sure she liked the idea of the stranger coming in the house.
“Well, I have you thank you for that, Mr. Parsons,” momma said. “Lisa is so afraid of snakes. That was very kind. I’m Yvonne Miller”
“Please call me Ernest.”
She unlocked the screen door then and asked him to come in.
“Thank you,” he said. He took off his hat and nodded his head a lot.
“Please sit down Ernest. I have to apologize. I’m not too friendly here lately”
I saw him frown. “And why is that?”
I saw tears come to her eyes then and I knew what she was going to tell him. “My husband was killed four years ago in Iraq and I haven’t gotten used to it yet.”
Ernest squirmed some then. “I lost my wife five years ago to cancer and you don’t get used to it. There were tears in both their eyes and then tears came to my eyes too,
“I know you don’t know who I am. I just came over just now to introduce myself and all that. But I would like to be your friend and a good neighbor. I get real lonely over there and I look forward to seeing Lisa come home from school even if it is only for a few seconds until she comes in the house. I would like your blessing to…to guard her until you come home.”
Momma looked at him. “Guard her?”
“Look out for her.” He turned to talk me me then. “Lisa, Would you like to help me in my garden? I can teach you all about plants and flowers, bugs and snakes and how they all exist together. We’ll even have a corner where we can grow some flowers for your mother.”
“I guess so.”
“Only if you want to. If either of you are one bite uncomfortable around me, then I will understand and mind my own business. I hope you will accept me as a friend.”
“I can’t asked you to do that Ernest and I can’t pay you,” momma said.
Ernest nodded. “The only pay I want is your trust in me; you and Lisa’.”
Now I come home from school and me and Ernest spend all out time around the garden; either pulling weeds or him showing me how to care for plants. I know momma feels a lot better now that Ernest is our friend. He is a good teacher and a prefect gentleman. I have even invited friends to come over after school and we all have a good time. It’s fun. So far, I haven’t seen that yucky snake.
THE END.
If you liked this story and you feel the poor, old author deserves compensation in his retirement for this creation, please feel free to send $1.00 to Clem Mason, c/o Backwater Publishing.
66021-0213.
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