I had always had the ability to sense a persons intentions, to feel sadness or dislike even if they weren’t there. When just a boy I learned how someone could act one way yet actually feel another even if there were no reason at all to want to. I knew every white lie told by my parents, no matter how small. I kept it all to myself though. I just started working at a new job in Phoenix and was starting a new life, away from everyone I have ever known. This was exactly what I needed.

I began feeling settled in at my new job and things were great. They let us off early one Thursday afternoon so I ran home to change so I could enjoy some daylight for a change. As I approached my apartment door I heard a woman crying in great pain upstairs. I heard a child say, “Please mommy, where’s daddy? Where did daddy go?”
I took it upon my self to make sure everything was alright. Their door was open, and if anything I could ask them to close it if no problems were too serious.
“Hello! Are you alright?” I said as I knocked on the door.
“Yes. I suppose. Please come in.” said the teary eyed woman sitting at the kitchen table with her son. They pulled a chair out for me and asked me to sit.
I said, “Actually, I don’t have a lot of time. I heard the crying and thought . . .”
Then I was uncomfortably stuck listening to a story I didn’t really want to hear. All I know is that her husband left earlier that day. I didn’t want to seem insensitive but I did the best I could. Soon I was back at home and relaxed watching a little TV and fell asleep soon after.

After work the following day I arrived home as usual and noticed my heartbroken neighbor’s door was closed; no psychiatric treatment today – I’m not really wanting to be involved in it anyway. I notice that the little red light is blinking rapidly on my answering machine. I relaxed and pounded down a cold one – now it’s time for my messages.
*beep* “Hello? Mr. Holden? It’s me Roxanne – the girl upstairs. I hope you don’t mind me calling you but I was just kinda wondering what you were gonna do today. Anyway. . .talk to you later.”

How did she get my phone number, I thought. Then another message.
*beep* “Hey Jack, hope you don’t mind me calling you by your first name. Anyway, I was cooking lunch and hoped you would come by. Call me!”
I pressed pause on my messages noticing the count was thirty-seven. Thirty-seven messages from her? Today had been bad enough already. Earlier at work I was scolded by a co-worker because I didn’t want to go on a second date with her friend Sharon, whom she had set me up with the previous week. Sharon and I had nothing in common and I just wasn’t attracted to her. Now I have this to deal with and I only wanted to relax. I was intrigued though, at what could possibly have been said on all those messages. So I press play.

*beep* “Hey Jack, guess you couldn’t make it. I’ll save some dinner for you so you can eat without having fast food. My son Timmy really likes you and he wants you to come play Monopoly with him. You wouldn’t want to let a needy child go without attention would you? We will be waiting for you, bye now!”

*beep* “Jack, I just went and bought a new bathing suit and you need to come rub suntan lotion on me. I’m down by the pool, I know you want me and I may just eat you up Mr. so get down here!”

*beep* “Jack. I don’t know if I said something – or done something to make you mad. I would REALLY APPRECIATE it if you come to the pool. We really need to talk about us!”
I stop the machine again. It was 5:30 pm and I kept wondering when this psycho-bitch was going to knock on my door. Right at that exact moment came a loud knock at the door.
She screamed, “Jack! Are you in there? Your truck is outside but I didn’t here you come up. Timmy really needs to see you. Jack?”

I am stunned at this point, wondering how in the hell does craziness like this happen to me? I couldn’t decide if I should call the police or what I should do. I decided just to be very quiet. I couldn’t resist the temptation-
*beep* “Look Jack, I don’t know what your problem is but you have some SERIOUS EXPLAINING to do. My husband leaves and now you – Mr. I’m so concerned about you – better not pull one over on me. I thought we had something special!”

*beep* “I’m sorry. I don’t want to bitch, I know you had a long day at work. It’s just that me and Timmy can’t hold up under another disappointment.” BAM! A thunderous knock at my door.
I press pause and she starts yelling – the phone starts ringing – the answering machine just starts playing her messages as I am on the verge of a psychotic meltdown. I answer the phone and it’s Sharon, the other woman I didn’t want to talk to.
“Hello?” I miraculously retain a polite tone.
“Jack? It’s Sharon. I think we need to talk. Me and my momma talked and I need a man like you. I’m coming over right now!” I hear nothing but the symphonies of Leviathan playing a tritone based death march rippling with diminished chromaticism – guiding me to my hellish crypt of never ending agony. Then it all settled to one fiendish chord sheathed in perverse wickedness. Suddenly I couldn’t see – blinding whiteness, scorching my retinas. Aqueous and vitreous humour fluids began bubbling, frothing searing madness vomited from my occipital pits as all I hear is the knocking and the screaming. Little Timmy is heart broken and I am the vile, wretched human leech that doth suckle the goodness from their hearts.

I wondered if I had died just realizing there’s pure silence. Things remained quiet, still my anxiety just waited for the climactic finish to this night. After pacing nervously for a while I peeked out through the blinds into the parking lot. I was shocked to see the woman I was set up with but didn’t like sitting on the hood of my car next to Roxanne; they sat drinking liquor straight from the bottle while laughing and comparing stories of why they both were snubbed by that uncaring guy in apartment B-6. Suddenly I heard a light tap on my door and I knew right away who it was. I opened it and let little Timmy in.
He revealed a look of disgust on his face, rolled his eye’s back saying, “I guess you can guess why my Daddy left huh Mr.Jack?”
I fought to keep from laughing aloud when Timmy unstressed all of my tension, exploding in hysterical chuckles – I joined in and we both had a great time.

The following Morning I went to check my mail and noticed Roxanne’s car was gone. The gas grill outside her apartment door also went missing. A neighbor told me they moved just before sunrise because I didn’t want her and her son. Of course my neighbor, a silver haired eighty-six year old retired sex therapist looked at me and said, “Men, you’re all just alike.”

Bobby Revell