THE NIGHT IN QUESTION
I had seen her several times through my window or when I was leaving. The new neighbors. From what I could figure out, they were a couple and since I lived in the apartment next door to them, I could hear their baby cry once in a while. It never bothered me.
I’d been living in this apartment for several years now, with none of the other residents striking my fancy like this new girl. She was chubby, probably baby weight, with curly hair and a creamy round face that looked vulnerable. Her boyfriend (husband?) had that imposing look, like someone used to being in charge. To me, he looked cruel.
I keep the Venetian blinds drawn over my own window, which allows me to view the goings on at our apartment complex without being seen. The people who’d been renting next to me, a pair of giggly girls who’d been working at the Bank of America up the street, had suddenly taken a powder and had left behind several pieces of furniture. The apartment manager had told me they’d skipped out on paying rent.
So I was glad this new couple and their baby had found a more or less good place to live.
I spend my days holed up here, designing web pages for large companies and even for the government. I earn well enough, even though there are slim times between contracts. Over the years, I’ve learned that designing porno sites comes in handy between more respectable work. It keeps me busy. It also allows me to stay home, which is what I like.
About a month ago, I could see the apartment manager opening the door next to mine. He had the imposing dude next to him and they both entered the empty apartment. After some muffled conversation inside, they both came out. Later on, the chubby girl holding her new baby and the dude opened the door and I could hear more muffled conversation.
Since then, they’ve been living next to me which allows me to view the chubby girl, often with her baby, coming and going. And more often with the dude.
Once in a while, I can hear their muffled arguments which seem to be about money. But I could be wrong. Come to think of it, I’m still not sure what the dude does to bring home the bacon. They do have a car and I can hear it starting up and screeching away usually after one of their fights. It’s the dude who goes. And more often than not, the chubby girl is left crying in their apartment. With her baby.
On the night in question, this is what happened. I’d been between contracts and was working half-heartedly on a porno website whose “company” sounded like two young dudes working in their garage like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (but to a far lesser degree).
I suddenly heard a loud knock on my neighbors’ door and then I heard the baby crying. I opened two strips of the Venetian blinds to see that the chubby girl had sunk down on the door step, her baby in her arms. She was crying hysterically.
I was caught in a quandary. Should I go outside to help her or should I stay in and see what happened? I glanced at my watch and could see it was nearly midnight.
She pounded on the door from the door step and was now yelling, “Norm! I know you’re in there! Let us in! I gotta change his diaper and feed him!”
From inside their apartment, I could hear the TV and some rumbling around.
She kept pounding their door and the baby was crying even louder.
I found working on that porno website impossible. So it wasn’t beyond my ken to know they needed my help. And it wasn’t beyond my ability to get the key the apartment manager had left with me to their apartment. Just in case.
I have to explain something now. I’m a very intelligent man, although disgustingly ugly in my estimation. I’m also extremely shy to the point where being with other people frightens me to death. I’ve always been that way and I’m used to it. Becoming an adult has allowed me to just accept the way I am and who I am . My utter shyness has barred me from doing many things but on the night in question, it was almost as if the universe was testing me. Either act or bail out forever.
My sweaty hand was gripping said key as I moved slowly to my door. It was like the time I was 6 years old and had to open the door to my first grade classroom alone. No mom or dad around for me. I had inched my way to that door hearing the high voices of the other small kids around me but I had felt so alone.
I finally made it to my apartment door and silently opened it and felt the warnings of an upcoming snowstorm. I saw the poor chubby girl still on the ground, clutching her baby to her girth to keep him warm.
It took every last drop of strength for me to say, “Hi. I’m your neighbor. I have a key.”
She struggled to get on her feet and I moved slowly towards her to help her. Her arm was freezing.
Suddenly struck mute, I just stuck the key in the lock while laying my ear against the freezing door. But I didn’t turn the key. I was too afraid. The sudden cold wind further reminded me how cold it was here, outside. A Chicago wind. The Windy City in January.
Inside, I heard the TV blaring and someone stumbling. No, two people stumbling.
I looked at my chubby neighbor and said that I heard two people inside.
She nodded. Her body still trembling and the baby starting to cry again gave me strength to turn the key and open the door.
A waft of really warm air hit me and I saw the imposing dude putting his pants on. I reached outside and grabbed my chubby neighbor and her baby and pushed them inside.
As I stood there, she went straight into the bedroom, her baby in tow. At the same time, a cheap looking woman with ratty hair sprang out of the bedroom and hustled out the front door, almost knocking me down.
This was the most excitement I’d had in a long time. Still, I stood at their door, not knowing if I should leave or stay. The dude, ignoring me, found the bedroom door locked and so he shoved his shoulder against it and then used his bare foot to kick it in.
The cheap door swung wide open. I could see the chubby girl on the bed nursing her baby who was now quiet.
The dude edged slowly to the bed and sank down on it, unsettling a little the chubby girl, still nursing. He said, “It didn’t mean anything, I swear.”
She sighed. “You said that the last time. And the time before that, Norm.”
I realized this was none of my business, so I hightailed it back to my place. The front door ended up being locked and I’d forgotten my key. Idiot.
It was still really cold, but my neighbors’ door was still open, so I snuck back inside. They were still in the bedroom, the broken door still open. I had no choice but to go sit on their sofa and bide my time. And swallow down my nervousness about not knowing what was going to happen.
At least they weren’t screaming at each other. The baby had probably fallen asleep. My illuminated watch told me it was now 2:30 AM in their dark and messy living room and I remember yawning until I must have fallen asleep.
—————
Someone was shaking my shoulder rudely and a male voice was telling me to wake up. I opened my eyes and saw the dude standing over me, looking like he was going to knock me out again. I struggled to a sitting position on their couch.
“I don’t remember telling you to spend the night here,” he barked. I wondered where the chubby girl was.
I glanced around their now messier living room with the morning light outside. Then I found my words, “It’s just that I locked my key in my apartment last night.”
He was now sitting down in a chair across from me, eating Frosted Flakes dry from the box. He said, “You better call the super.”
My head was now clear enough for me to say, “I would if I hadn’t left my cellphone in there.”
He kept crunching and then swallowed. Then he called, “Nora! Go find the super’s number!” He went on crunching. Then he flipped on the TV to some cop show.
The chubby girl came into the living room a short while later with a cellphone. She had already dialed the apartment manager and stuck the phone up to my ear. After several rings, the manager picked up. “Yeah?”
Norm and Nora were now staring at me. I said, “Rich, this is Alfred…Al in 22B? I locked my keys in last night and I need someone to open my door. Please.”
Rich grumbled and then swore some. I heard a female voice in the background. I heard him say, “Alright, alRIGHT!” Then he said, “Give me 15, 20 minutes,” and hung up.
Nora now had the baby cradled in her arms with a pacifier stuck in its mouth. She reached an arm out and took the box of Frosted Flakes that Norm had put on the coffee table. She gave it to me and said, “Here. Breakfast.”
While Norm smoked and watched the cop show, I dug my hand in the box and ate a couple of handfuls. Better than nothing.
The cop show turned out to be a movie and it wasn’t until the credits were rolling that I heard Rich outside, yelling my name. I jumped up and told Norm and Nora, “Thanks for putting me up, guys.”
As I went through their door into the cold morning, I didn’t hear them say a word.
Rich was in a bad mood, I could tell. He just inserted the key to my apartment and opened the door a crack. Then he left, saying, “Next time, think twice, Al.”
I told him I would and shut the door.
Once inside, I stripped off my clothes and took a long, hot shower. Then I dressed in my usual garb. And then I returned to my computer, none the worse for wear.