Mark Krijgsman
22-03-2023: Whispering Pines Avenue, Willowbrook.
The winter had been exceptionally warm this year.
Walter "Wally" Jenkins looked up from his recliner as heart a loud thud at the front door. He grumbled to himself as he used the handle to get his chair upright again, he had been watching the news. A new weather girl had told with a cheery voice that spring had finaly begun and that the weather was looking nice. Wally did not really care about the news or the weather in particular, it was always the same. Still he watched the News as he was quite taken by this new weather girl. She was younger then the old guy who had done it before, and way more pleasing to look at.
As Wally made his regular getting up noises and made to the front door he smiled as he opened the door seeing the news paper neatly wrapped in its plastic. Picking it up he walked to the swinging chair on his porch, threw the Newpaper on it, and went back inside to get a cup of coffee. With the steaming cup in his hand he walked outside again and sat on the swinging chair looking out over his neatly mowed lawn.
He waved his hands as the children of the street passed his house on their bikes, greeting him with "Good morning mister Jenkins" to which he always replied with calling most of the kids by name, having lived in the same house for 50 years mad eit so that he knew most people living on Whispering Pines Avenue.
As the small delegation of school children had passed his house, Wally setled back and slowly started to swing the chair as he pulled the newspaper from it’s plastic wrapper. "Let’s unlease the woe" He mumbled to himself, as he loved to pretend that small plastic wrapper kept all the worldy woes contained.
He let out a sigh as he saw the headline " Spring is here" and grumbled to himself " This is not news, i can’t believe how bad the paper has gotten" He unfolded the paper and shook, holding it with his left hand he moved his right to his mouth to lick his fingers, he stopped as he felt something " itching" and smiled as he saw a small ladybug on his ring finger, " Hello there little one, aren’t you out early this year" he said as he looked at the ladybug walking up from his knuckle to the tip of his finger. He placed the news paper down and used his left hand to get his cup of Coffee and moved it to his left hand, " Look at you making me holding al Dainty like a British prat." As he waited for the ladybug to move. He wiggled his ring finger as he mumbled " Come on little one, fly of already". ash he wiggled his finger again the ladybug walked up to the tip of his finger. " Ouch, what the" Wally swore as he felt the tiny mandibels of the lady bug chomp down on his finger, without thinking he waved his hand and let out another scream as the contents of his coffee cup landed right in his lap.
He shot up from the swinging chair, dropped his cup and started to pat his groin al the while swearing under his breath, the Lady bug landed on the porch fence in front of him, with a fast grab Wally had picked up the news paper and rolled it up. With a quick flick of his wrist he landed the rolled up paper on the spot where the ladybug sat, " Think you can bite me little shit?" He swore, his lips curled into a smile as he rose the paper and saw the squished bug underneath it. Wally placed the paper down onto the swinging chair as he started to sweat, he leaned over placing his hands on his knees as he started to breath heavier, he could net get enough air into his lungs. He started to drool as he looked at the spot wher ehe had squashed the bug, and saw two more looking at him. Wally raised his arm and swung down, forgetting he no longer was holding the paper in his hand, as he missed the bugs he fell over, his face red as he tried to breath, looking uup it almost felt like the Ladybugs were looking at him before they flew up.