Nov. 12 Watching

The prompt for today's flash fiction exercise was the face at the window.

7:45

Alison, still in her blue-flowered PJs, took up her post at her bedroom window. It looked out on the elementary school.

Good. The school bus hadn’t arrived yet, spilling kids into the school yard. A few of the mothers were already there. Some had walked, others had driven.

She always could tell the working mothers from those that stayed at home. The working moms opened the car door. The stay at home moms usually had time to chat with one another after their off springs had run off to join their friends. She imagined some might go off and have a coffee together in the village coffee shop after before going back to the quiet of their homes.

Her home was always quiet. Jason left for work early and came back late. Dolly lived in Australia along with Alison’s grand kids. Skype wasn’t the same as having them here. Jason had suggested flying out to see them, probably knowing she would say no.

She had named all the schoolyard kids in her mind going to the internet lists of most popular names in the years that they were probably born. She based the years by guessing depending on their sizes, although she knew that wasn’t accurate. She liked thinking of them as Brett, Dirk, Kathy, Tiffany…

3:30

She had dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt when she returned to the window. She’d done the chores. The groceries had been delivered and put away.

The kids poured out of the school building as the bell sounded. Some were greeted by nannies, the same kids that had been shoved out of cars. The smaller kids let their moms hug them, while the bigger ones acted more nonchalant.

The two little boys, the ones she decided were eight, pushed and shoved each other as they always did. Little boys, she noticed did much more running and pushing while the girls tended to huddle as if exchanging world-changing secrets.

She wondered if the kids, nannies or the moms ever noticed her looking out the window. She was sure the gauze curtain would hide her face.

6:30

This was the hour of the dog, as she called it. Some owners kept their pooches on leashes, others let them run free. Those were the dogs that obediently heeled. At the playground the dogs ran and greeted each other like the kids had earlier. The owners all had black plastic sacs to make sure the playground stayed clean for the kids.

She’d named all the dogs…Scottie the Westie, Henrich the German Shepherd, Misty the collie. Watson was a mixed breed, Fido, Fifi, Jack, Bones, Max, Georgia etc.

“What are you doing?” She jumped at Jason’s voice. He was home much too early.

“You’re home early.”

“I know. We have to talk.”

“Come and see these dogs. They are so cute.”

He walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. She knew the subject would be her staying indoors all the time. 

She wasn’t ready. She might never be ready to leave the house.