Observations
Seeing the little girl knocked on his door, the old man watched with bated breath. This was the fourth consecutive day. What was the strange man's name that kept inviting the young girl into his home?
His stomach dropped when he watched the front door close behind the girl as he assumed the situation was innocent. Is there a reason why the grown man was with the little girl? He had a gut feeling that something terrible was happening.
Seeing Her
Allen first saw the young girl as he tended to his front garden. It was official that she had replaced the previous paper boy. Her small, yellow backpack was always with her as she delivered papers every morning.
His smile spread across his face. A new neighbor was always welcome in the neighborhood. Despite seeing the girl, he didn't pay much attention to her. It was little known to him that she was in grave danger.
Something Changed
Allen saw the young girl around for the first few weeks. Her morning routine consisted of placing papers on people's front porches at 7. Whenever he was watering his plants, she would pass his house. Every morning, he waved at her.
She began arriving an hour early one day after her routine changed. It seemed like a school-related issue to Allen. If something strange happened behind closed doors, how was he supposed to know?
What’s Going On?
His first reaction was to shrug it off. There was nothing strange about it, he thought. One morning, however, everything changed. The little girl caught his attention as he was watering his plants in the garden.
She made her way to the house across the street with a basket in her hand. His expectation was that she would place a paper on the porch, but she knocked on the door instead. A frown crossed his face. What made her knock on the door of the young bachelor?
Did She Know Him?
As he walked to the edge of his yard, he placed his hose pipe down on the ground. It was time for the little girl to enter the house, so he watched the younger man open the door for her with his hands on his hips.
As the man stepped aside, Allen was in awe and he couldn't believe what he saw. Why was this happening? Was the little girl even familiar with the man? Could that be why she arrived earlier than usual? He didn't like it.
Trying Not To Think About It
Taking a look around from his front door, the younger man poked his head out. Seeing that the girl had slipped into his home, he wanted to find out if anyone had noticed her.
It was impossible for her to be older than eight, Allen thought to himself. His mind had already shut down when he thought about the young man and the girl. As he closed the door behind them, he didn't notice Allen watching.
An Hour Later
His heart sank. Before turning around, he wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans. He couldn't decide what to do as he walked back to his house. Despite wanting to knock on the door, he was afraid he might be wrong.
Sitting by his window, he watched instead. Before the door was finally opened again, he sat there for over an hour. Over an hour later, what did the young man do with the little girl? He was afraid of the worst.
A Peaceful Life
The quiet life of Allen Monroe was shaped by his childhood in Jackson, Mississippi. Ruth, his best friend and wife, lived in a quiet little neighborhood with him after he retired.
Their routine had become ingrained over the years. Mornings began for Allen at 05:30, when he started the day with a cup of hot tea. It was his habit to water the garden before it became too hot outside, while Ruth preferred to sleep in.
The Routine
The young girl was walking through their neighborhood early one morning when he noticed her watering the garden. Her job was to replace the previous paper boy, and she was there every day. She had a smooth start to the school year.
As she brought him the paper every morning, Allen greeted her and thanked her. She was a very young girl. In Allen's opinion, it was incredible that her parents let her leave the house all by herself. Soon, he began to notice something deeply troubling about her.
Keeping A Close Eye
A few weeks later, the little girl continued to show up in their neighborhood at 7 a.m. every single day. She would leave again after about 30 minutes. While she was there, Allen was able to see her from the garden in front of his house.
Their neighborhood was brightened by the presence of a new face. It was a pleasure for the old man to watch over the little girl, since she was by herself. But he had no idea that one of his neighbors had also noticed her.
An Hour Earlier
But one day, something changed. It was a casual Wednesday morning, and Allen had just finished his usual cup of tea. He was in his garden, beginning to wet the plants when he spotted her.
He thought it was strange that she’d arrived an hour earlier than usual, but he assumed that it had something to do with school. He didn’t think much of it until something very strange happened.
Not What He Expected
Holding a basket in her hand, the girl quickly and confidently walked down the street. Allen went about his business, watching her absentmindedly from the corner of his eye.
But he snapped his head in her direction when she stopped in front of the house across the street. He expected her to place a paper on the porch, but instead, she walked up to the front door and knocked. Allen frowned, confused by the simple action.
She Went Inside
Why was the little girl knocking on that door in particular? Allen knew who lived there. It was a young bachelor named Tommy, and he lived all by himself. Did she know him? Allen sure hoped so!
He stood motionless, watching as the front door swung open. As soon as it did, the little girl walked into the house. But then, something weird happened.
No One Was Watching
Allen dropped the hosepipe on the grass as he walked to the edge of his yard. He then watched as Tommy poked his head out of the front door. He glanced down the street, making sure that no one was watching.
He didn’t notice the older man staring from across the street. Once he made sure that the coast was clear, he went back inside and shut the door behind him. Allen’s stomach dropped.
A Gut Feeling
He stood frozen in his tracks as he stared at the man’s front door. He was confused, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. What was the little girl doing visiting an adult man on her own?
He didn’t know what to do next. Was he supposed to go over there and see what was going on? What if he misjudged the situation? He didn’t know what to do, but his gut told him that the little girl was in trouble.
He Watched
After a few minutes, Allen decided that it was best to head back inside. He wanted to keep an eye on the young man’s house. He told himself that if the little girl didn’t come back out in an hour, he would walk over there and see for himself what was going on.
Allen watched from his kitchen window, his stomach bubbling with uncertainty as he waited. He prayed that the girl was alright.
After An Hour
After enough time passed, Allen got up from his seat and reached for his coat. The girl hadn’t left the man’s house yet, and he was going to go over there. But as Allen opened his front door, he saw Tommy’s door swing open too.
The girl stepped out on her own, her backpack on her back, but her hands were empty. A second later, Tommy appeared behind her. He handed her the basket from earlier as she skipped off. But as she did, Tommy spotted Allen. He narrowed his eyes at the old man before stepping back inside, shutting the door behind him.
Did Her Parents Know
Something about the situation did not sit right with Allen. Why was the little girl hanging around the grown man’s house? Did her parents know about this? He couldn’t help but wonder.
As he went about his day, he tried not to think about it too much. He mentioned it to Ruth, and she too thought the situation was sketchy. She was worried for the little girl’s safety, but did she have to be?
It Happened Again
Allen was beside himself when the same thing happened the next day. Once again, the girl showed up with the little basket in her hand and knocked on Tommy’s door. Allen watched with disappointed eyes as the door opened for her once again.
He wished he could get in contact with the girl’s parents and tell them about the strange situation. They were probably completely unaware of what their daughter was getting up to.
Wit’s End
The pattern continued. Soon, the days turned into weeks, and then the weeks turned into an entire month. That’s right, every single morning, without fail, she pitched up at Tommy’s house with her backpack and the little basket.
Allen was at his wit’s end as he watched from afar. He wanted to storm over there and confront the young man, but he knew that it wasn’t his place. Besides, what if he was wrong? He’d make a fool of himself!
Her Advice
Once again, Allen decided to speak to Ruth about the situation. He shared his thoughts and concerns, and she listened intently. She agreed that the situation seemed fishy and that they had to do something about it.
She advised Allen to speak to the girl once she was on her own. That way, he wouldn’t have to confront the man until he had the full story.
The Next Morning
Allen agreed with his wife. It was best to speak to the little girl first. The next morning, Allen woke up extra early. He was eager to get it out of the way.
After enjoying his cup of morning tea, he left the house and began watering the plants. He waited, checking his watch every few minutes. When 6 a.m. finally rolled around, he spotted the girl. He was about to walk up to her when Tommy’s door swung open. This time, he waited by the door for the girl to approach.
He Had To Wait
The old man’s heart sank. He’d have to wait until she left his house before he could speak to her. He remained in the garden, his eyes hardly leaving the young man’s door. He was waiting for the girl to leave.
He was trying to look out for her. What if Tommy was dangerous? Clearly, no one else was looking out for her.
Just Like Before
Allen’s eyes grew wide when the door finally opened, and just like every day before, the little girl came skipping out. The old man watched, waiting for the door to shut behind her before he approached.
Walking across the street, he quickly made his way over to her. She smiled when she noticed him. “Hello sir,” She said sweetly. He had to protect her at all costs.
Kayla
He got down on one knee beside the girl. When he asked for her name, she said it was Kayla. She knew who he was, she saw him in his garden every morning, and she didn’t seem at all worried that he was speaking to her.
“Kayla, do you know the man that lives in that house? I see you there every day.” He pointed in the direction of the young man’s house.
Were They Friends?
“Yes, I know him. His name is Tommy!” She giggled, swinging her basket back and forth. He wanted to ask how she knew Tommy, but he didn’t want to scare the little girl off.
“I see, and is Tommy one of your friends?” He smiled, his eyes locking onto the basket. It was closed, but he found himself wondering what was inside of it.
Three Words
“No, Tommy isn’t one of my friends,” Kayla shrugged her shoulders. The old man looked back at Tommy’s house, a shiver running down his spine. But if Tommy wasn’t her friend, then how did she know him?
But before he could ask any more questions, she said three simple words that unraveled the entire mystery.
An Explanation
“Tommy’s my brother,” She shrugged casually, “He moved out a few months ago. My mom and dad said that I could have breakfast at his house in the mornings, that way I can go to school as soon as I’m finished giving out the papers.”
Allen let out a massive sigh of relief. All along, he had been misjudging the situation.
The Full Story
It turned out that Kalya was bringing breakfast from her parents’ house every morning, that’s what the basket was for. She would eat with Tommy, deliver her papers, and then head for the school bus in their neighborhood.
She lived one neighborhood over, and the walk to Tommy’s house only took a few minutes each morning.
Put To Rest
Allen’s fears were finally put to rest. All along, he had been staring from a distance, completely unaware of what was really happening across the street. He was relieved to learn that he was wrong.
As the same routine followed for the next few months, Allen made sure to wave at Tommy and Kayla every single morning as she pitched up to his house. All was well in their little neighborhood.