Shadows of Love

Josh couldn’t sleep. He tried, he really did. But those moments of subconscious bliss stubbornly continued to elude him. He’d seen her again today. At least he thought he did, and these random sightings were beginning to disturb him. He’d stopped at the Morrison residence three times this week, and each time the elaborately sculpted wrought iron gate had been securely closed and locked, thereby delaying the delivery of the package and causing him to be late for his next stop. Pressing the call button on the intercom box, he waited for the man to respond. “Come on you old fogey, answer the bell,” Josh muttered under his breath as he waited. “Yes? How may I help you?” “American Parcel Service? I have a delivery for you.” “Oh, I see. Let me open the gate for you,” he somberly replied. “Thank you,” Josh cordially replied, and then knew he still had at least five minutes before he’d hear the electronic relay on the aged gate click and the barricade start to roll slowly aside. “Why does this guy need a gated home anyway?” Josh thought to himself, deciding to keep his words to himself just in case the old guy was listening in. “It’s not like this is a bad neighborhood, or something,” he mentally added as he idly glanced up and down the street. “Come on, dude, you’re making me late…and irritated,” Josh continued to muse as his gaze slowly crept upward over the façade of the immense residence. “Nice digs,” he thought to himself as he visually perused the elegant structure. Noting the three brick fireplaces, and the turret at the far left front of the home, he took in all the details, including the small oval window located in the turret. For a split second, he thought he had seen someone looking down at him. With a second glance, he decided it was nothing but his own vivid imagination on a dark, rain-soaked day. Just then, he heard a faint click, and the gate began to trundle open. “It’s about time,” he muttered under his breath, and now nearly soaked to the bone, he squeezed through the widening passage and jogged up the rain-slicked driveway. Josh was about to knock on the door, when it opened seemingly all by itself. The older gentleman was there, his bony hand resting upon the platinum lever. As always, he was dressed in a dark suit and tie. The man always looked as if he was about to leave to attend a very important business meeting. “Good morning, sir,” Josh greeted his customer with an amiable smile. “Is it?” The old man replied, as he cast a wary glance skyward. “It’s dark, cold, and raining.” “Good weather for ducks though,” Josh remarked good-naturedly, hoping to bring even the hint of a smile to the old man’s face. It didn’t work nearly as well as he had hoped. “Oh, you young whippersnappers think you all have it so great. You have no idea about real life.” “So, real life is driving the same old truck, on the same old route every single day bringing vastly important, ‘early A.M. delivery’ packages of Macadamia nuts to people like you?” Josh replied. His mouth apparently working before his brain had time to catch up, and the old man’s jaw dropped agape. “Sir, I apologize, I didn’t mean to…” “Insult my intelligence?” Raymond interrupted. “No sir, I just meant…” “I worked hard in my day, before I discovered,” and with that word, the man decided not to say anything further. “Discovered…?” Josh added, hoping to draw the man out. Just then they both heard a slight shuffling behind him. With an agility Josh couldn’t understand in a man his age, the gentleman whipped about. “Get back up those stairs!” He hissed, and then calming, he turned back to the startled delivery man. “I’m sorry, what were we talking about?” “Is that something you have to tend to?” Josh asked, pointing past the man in the general direction of a lengthy, curved stairwell. Leading around a corner, he couldn’t see who…or what, had been on the stairs. “It’s been tended to. It was…was just the dogs creeping down the stairs. I always make them wait at the top of the stairs when you’re here so that they won’t run out the door, or…possibly, attack you.” “They’re vicious?” “Only to strangers who attempt to bring harm to me, or my home,” Mr. Morrison explained as he made an expansive gesture with his right arm, waving it to his right in a wide arc. “I didn’t realize they would attack.” “Oh yes. They’re very well trained. They demand much in respect.” “I see,” Josh replied, rather skeptically. “Well sir, if you’ll just sign right here, I’ll be on my way.” “Thank you,” he said simply, handing the device back to Josh. “Thank you, and have a nice day,” Josh offered and turning, he began the walk down the driveway. “If the delivery comes in, it will be, I assure you,” the man commented, just loud enough to be heard. “But, you just got it,” Josh said, stopping and turning half way around to face the gentleman. “Oh, not this one, there’s another,” he added, vaguely. “You’re a man who’s totally into the Home Shopping Network, aren’t you,” Josh chuckled, good-naturedly. “In a way, young man…in a way. Good day.” “Good day to you too,” Josh replied, and jogged back to his truck, disturbed by some of the things the man had said, but also glad to be off the property and back into his truck. Revving the engine to life, he took one last glance at the impressive structure just quick enough to notice the white ruffled curtain swing gently back into place…in the small, oval window of the turret. Nope, sleep would elude him this night and many more, until the mystery was solved.