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Story Title: A Life Examined
Henry David Thoreux said “city life is millions of people being lonely together.” Maggie sadly could identify with that, not just when she had read it years ago, but now as she slowly turned her key to unlock her door - the door to the apartment she shared with her cat. In her densely populated city, she estimated she lived no further than 10 feet away from her nearest neighbor, but she might as well be living on a deserted island for all the interaction she experienced with others.
Maggie was indeed lonely, however, she wasn't aware that this could change in an instant.
Not five minutes after she had entered her apartment, her cat twining around her feet as she sank into the worn couch cushions, had she heard heavy footsteps in the hallway.
Muttering about the thin walls, she flipped on the television. Noise to keep her company along with the cat.
The footsteps came to a stop, and someone knocked on Maggie's apartment door.
"Who on earth," she breathed, almost tripping over the cat in her curiosity.
Quietly as she could, she stood on her toes to look out the peephole.
On her doorstep stood a strange man, looking very impatient, and very tired.
In fact, Maggie wasn't certain he didn't look injured.
Not five minutes after she had entered her apartment, her cat twining around her feet as she sank into the worn couch cushions, had she heard heavy footsteps in the hallway.
Muttering about the thin walls, she flipped on the television. Noise to keep her company along with the cat.
The footsteps came to a stop, and someone knocked on Maggie's apartment door.
"Who on earth," she breathed, almost tripping over the cat in her curiosity.
Quietly as she could, she stood on her toes to look out the peephole.
On her doorstep stood a strange man, looking very impatient, and very tired.
In fact, Maggie wasn't certain he didn't look injured.
The man seemed to be in about his fifties with unkempt brown hair that was greying near his ears. His eyes were a dull blue and they held a consuming sadness that made Maggie unsettled. He looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days and his clothes were dirty and worn-out. From his beaten leather jacket he produced a small yellowish envelope and, by the way he pressed it to his chest, Maggie thought it must have been very important.
“Can I come in?” he asked in a gruff but polite tone.
Maggie didn’t reply but took a cautious step back into her apartment as the strange man entered the sanctity of her lonely little island.
“Can I come in?” he asked in a gruff but polite tone.
Maggie didn’t reply but took a cautious step back into her apartment as the strange man entered the sanctity of her lonely little island.
This wasn't Maggie's usual way. Or was it? She knew so very few people and was called upon so infrequently by family that she couldn't say for certain whether or not she was the type to open her home up to visitors who come unannounced. She felt dazed, nervous almost, unsure what to do next now that this bedraggled man stood before her in her living room, looking about himself with a vacant gaze.
It occurred to Maggie that her mother once told her, on one of those rare occasions she saw her mother, when the nurse was sick, not to talk to strangers and not to answer the door for them. She felt almost a thrill at having broken this rule, but also felt very stupid. Was she not putting herself in danger by admitting a strange man into her home?
"Is there someone I can...call for you?"
It occurred to Maggie that her mother once told her, on one of those rare occasions she saw her mother, when the nurse was sick, not to talk to strangers and not to answer the door for them. She felt almost a thrill at having broken this rule, but also felt very stupid. Was she not putting herself in danger by admitting a strange man into her home?
"Is there someone I can...call for you?"
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