Timing is everything.
Last Sunday Paul and I were enjoying the prospect of a life without B.
Windows open during summer nights.
Gardening without the fear of B wanting to talk.
Usually about some hare-brained scheme that would 'fly under the radar'.
Hanging laundry without the fear of B wanting to talk.
Sitting in our yard without the fear of B wanting to talk.
We weren't alone in picturing a B-less future.
During the siege, cars had been discreetly hidden in carport and garages.
Neighbors had begun parking in the cul again.
Ah.....
After lunch we played a game of scrabble.
Then we went out for a walk.
Wouldn't you know.....
At that moment a middle-aged stranger was leaving the house next door.
He looked nervously over his shoulder.
He asked us if anyone was in the house.
Conditioned by years with B, at first we said we didn't know anything.
The fellow said he was working for the 'little guy' (A) and that he had to serve the 'big guy' (B) some papers.
Oh..... We told him B had left on Monday, January 31.
The fellow smiled and said he'd report that B had left, and that they would have the locks changed.
While we walked, we marveled at our going out the door at just that moment.
Timing..... coincidence or destiny?
On Tuesday, February 8, at 2:00 am, Paul was returning from the bathroom when he heard something below our bedroom window.
Below the bedroom window near A's house.
Not the window facing the street.
He looked outside and saw a honking big U-Haul truck was wedged between our houses.
A three seater.
Big enough to take a fair amount of household furniture.
Stiffling a groan, Paul returned to bed.
A few hours later, when I awoke, Paul told me to look outside.
He didn't have to say which window.
Checking that space had become part of our routine.
Like I said, timing is everything.
At 11:00 am we noticed a CAA locksmith van leaving the bay.
B had told us that he'd changed the locks when the Peace Bond was posted against him back in November.
Hmmm..... on Sunday the fellow had said they'd have the locks changed.
Had the CAA guy changed the locks so A could re-enter his home?
But, there was a U-Haul blocking the door.
Wasn't B inside, grabbing everything not nailed down?
Did B just ignore the locksmith doing his job?
Not likely.
Where was B?
At 1:30 pm A's white car drove onto the lawn and blocked the U-Haul, which was just sitting there, like an oversized lawn ornament.
B got out of the passenger side and calmly walked past the U-Haul to the front door.
Within minutes he stomped back to the car.
B had overplayed his hand.
The deed was done.
The locks had been changed.
We could see across the bay a neighbor on his cell phone, looking out his picture window and pointing at A's house.
Then the neighbor came and had a few words with B's buddy.
Ah..... A had a spy watching and reporting.
A is a quiet sort of fellow, who embarrasses easily and likes to keep his problems to himself. In the 'opposites attract' vein, B is a blabbermouth, who thinks everyone agrees with him.
He had tried to enlist our support back in December.
Fat chance.
B's friend seemed like a calm sort, if a bit misguided.
After the neighbor returned to his house, the buddy pulled out his cell phone.
We could see our neighbor in his house, back on his cell phone.
At 3:53 a different locksmith came.
Our neighbor came over and talked to B and the locksmith, who looked like he wished he were in another line of work.
The locksmith did his own cell phoning and chatted with B's friend.
B was in the car, sitting low, as if hoping no one would notice him in the middle of all the commotion.
Yeah, right.
About a half hour later, the locksmith and A's white car left.
At 6:00 pm the white car came back.
For some reason, B thought the door would magically open for him.
It didn't.
B returned to the front seat of the car, and started pulling at his hair and pounding on the seats.
It was a dandy tantrum.
B's friend watched him, as if suddenly discovering a whole new side of his 'misunderstood buddy'.
Maybe the light dawned.
Who could tell..... I mean, he was B's friend.
Then B left the car and marched out of the bay.
He wasn't dressed for the weather.
We wondered if he'd gone to buy a bottle and drown his sorrows in a field.
Okay..... we hoped he'd gone to spend the night in a field.
It was a cold night.
On Wednesday, February 9, at 6:10 am the U-Haul van was driven off.
We don't know who was driving.
At 7:15 am A's white car was driven back and parked by the curb.
B left the car and entered the house.
The friend drove off.
On Friday, February 11, A's white car was parked in the bay.
At 5:00 pm B's friend was back in his silver compact car and parked on the front lawn.
About a half hour later he loaded some old furniture into the back of his car.
At 7:00 pm the friend drove away.
On Saturday, A's white car was gone from the bay.
Could B have driven away?
Nope.....
When I went to get groceries I saw it was parked in the back.
Oy.
