He had waited through what remained of the previous night and all of the day before making a move. Jack had had plenty of time and nothing but time to lay in wait and watch. He watched from his hiding place in the cement culvert. It spanned the dry irrigation ditch running the length of the driveway to the house.
Both ends of the culvert’s openings were masked with errant tumble weeds. They allowed a camouflaging effect. Yet, he could see outside his concrete lair through the gauze-like vegetation by straining his neck just enough in the right direction.
He watched the people go about their morning routine. The old guy came out first with a cup of coffee and a newspaper and sat in an ancient rocker on the front porch. After a couple sips of coffee he started coughing until he sounded like he was going to offer up a lung. Then a bit later the woman came out wearing a big floppy hat. The old guy greeted her with, “Good morning, Miss Ruth.” She went about pruning some roses then went back inside.
After that, he observed the old guy looking around making sure he was alone. Then he watched him sneak a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and light up. He didn’t get too many puffs in though before his old lady yelled out his name. Geeooorge! He put that thing out so fast. It was pretty damned funny. He looked like a kid who’d got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Then he saw the weird one. Oh he looked normal physically but it was obvious he had a bolt or two loose upstairs. He came out on the porch and in the brief time he was out there Jack watched him do all manner of strange things. Like what was deal with the hands? And he didn’t seem to know how to talk because the old guy was saying things to him but he wasn’t talking back. Hell, he acted like he wasn’t even hearing anything! Then he went back into the house looking like a zombie.
He knew the woman had gone in to make breakfast because soon he detected the heavenly scent of bacon floating on the light breeze. His mouth started watering. It was too much for him to bear and he finally curled up and went back to sleep just so he could take his mind off his hunger pangs.
He drifted in and out for the rest of the day and the last time he awoke fully it was to the sound of an old Volkswagen engine sputtering up the driveway. Again, he craned his neck and watched as the girl carried bags in each hand up the front porch to where the woman was standing. He watched the two greet, chat briefly and then disappear inside.
God! What a face and body the girl had. He hadn’t seen anything that beautiful in a long time. She was as close to his fantasy as he had ever seen in real life. She had an air of mystery about her. He didn’t think she could be their daughter. She didn’t look like any of them. Why was she there?
A while later, he watched the old couple come out of the house with a suitcase, get into a van and drive away. That answered his question. She was there to watch that goofy kid. He probably needed someone taking care of him while they were gone. Gone where, he thought, and how long? They had a suitcase, so that meant they were going to be out of there at least overnight.
Before the girl closed the front door he could smell the aroma of something fresh baked. Pie, cake, or maybe cookies? He was starved now and knew it was way late in the day but he still thought it was better to wait. He wanted to make sure nobody else was coming or going for a while longer. He bided his time reasoning that the girl may have a boyfriend she was going to rendezvous with. A beautiful girl like her could expect to have dogs sniffing around, so he waited.
Now as it started to get dark again he had to make a decision. Should he wait longer and make sure somebody still didn’t show or make a quick break now and get the keys to the girl’s car.
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