"You are not going to believe this," Buffy said one evening while we
watched Marcus play on a tire swing in the yard. "There are bats in the
attic. I saw them streaming out from under an cupboard last night." She
shuddered. " I called Giles, and he said the same thing, then gave me a
lecture about how they eat insects. From the way he carried on, I thought I
was expected to thank him for providing mosquito control. What if on gets
downstairs?"
Mrs. Sticklemann kept a tennis racket in the hall. I don't think she ever had to use it, though." "That's comforting," she said dryly. "I was waiting for you to say that she died of rabies." "Nothing like that," I said and stood up. Buffy gave me a look like she darn well I was tiptoeing around something, but she called to Marcus and they left. I felt bad for not telling her, but she had more than enough problems. Sometimes when you buy a lemon, you can squeeze it until your face turn blue, but you still can't make lemonade.
Later that night when the phone rang, I answered it. "Angel," Buffy said abruptly, "go to your living room. Don't turn on the lights. There's a man out on the road, staring at my house. He's been out there for at least half an hour now. Should I call the police?"
"Hold on." I put down the receiver and did what she'd asked, then came back and picked it up. " I see him, honey." I noticed my blunder and quickly covered it up. " You said he's been there half an hour?"
"That's when I first noticed him. Could he be confused and think I'm our neighborhood drug dealer?" "No," I said, "That's not his problem. You can call the police if you want, Buffy, but I don't think it'll do much good."
"Do you know who he is?" "Yes. I do. You come over tomorrow after you get home from work and I'll tell you about him. In the meantime, just ignore him. He'll get away before too long.
"Who is he?" she demanded. " How do you know he'll go away? What if he breaks into the house?" "He won't come closer than he already is," I said. "You and Marcus are perfectly safe. I'll see you tomorrow."
I hung up and went back to the window. The figure was still there, all slouched over with his hands in pocket, looking like a marble statue in the glow from the streetlight. I felt bad about making Buffy wait, but it was going to take a lot of time to explain it in such a way that she wouldn't get all panicky.
"Damn him" I said from under my breath and threw the nearest vase towards the wall. It shattered into pieces, but was no help in soothing my anger.
Mrs. Sticklemann kept a tennis racket in the hall. I don't think she ever had to use it, though." "That's comforting," she said dryly. "I was waiting for you to say that she died of rabies." "Nothing like that," I said and stood up. Buffy gave me a look like she darn well I was tiptoeing around something, but she called to Marcus and they left. I felt bad for not telling her, but she had more than enough problems. Sometimes when you buy a lemon, you can squeeze it until your face turn blue, but you still can't make lemonade.
Later that night when the phone rang, I answered it. "Angel," Buffy said abruptly, "go to your living room. Don't turn on the lights. There's a man out on the road, staring at my house. He's been out there for at least half an hour now. Should I call the police?"
"Hold on." I put down the receiver and did what she'd asked, then came back and picked it up. " I see him, honey." I noticed my blunder and quickly covered it up. " You said he's been there half an hour?"
"That's when I first noticed him. Could he be confused and think I'm our neighborhood drug dealer?" "No," I said, "That's not his problem. You can call the police if you want, Buffy, but I don't think it'll do much good."
"Do you know who he is?" "Yes. I do. You come over tomorrow after you get home from work and I'll tell you about him. In the meantime, just ignore him. He'll get away before too long.
"Who is he?" she demanded. " How do you know he'll go away? What if he breaks into the house?" "He won't come closer than he already is," I said. "You and Marcus are perfectly safe. I'll see you tomorrow."
I hung up and went back to the window. The figure was still there, all slouched over with his hands in pocket, looking like a marble statue in the glow from the streetlight. I felt bad about making Buffy wait, but it was going to take a lot of time to explain it in such a way that she wouldn't get all panicky.
"Damn him" I said from under my breath and threw the nearest vase towards the wall. It shattered into pieces, but was no help in soothing my anger.