First Contact

I should have been suspicious this morning when Bingo, our new puppy, told me that he wanted to ride with me to Home Depot and pick up the wood for my crown moulding. Considering how cozy he and Willow have been lately, I figured he wanted to come along to keep an eye on me, probably to make sure I didn't spend too much money or buy something that was not on my so-called approved list of purchase items. Or possibly, I could hope, the little guy just wanted to get to know me better?

While I browsed through the stacks of pine, Bingo seemed distracted, looking back and forth as though he expected someone to appear. Soon I noticed, through the corner of my eye, a familiar looking man approaching--a bearded man who seemed out of place and too sophisticated for his work cloths and dusty boots, like some actor on his way to a Tennessee Williams play. "Very nice," the man said as he passed behind me.

For quite a while I stood frozen, though I can't say why. maybe it was his voice. Then I left the store without buying anything.