unexpected

Terry carried on down the road. Forty eight doors and not one ‘yes’ yet. He knocked hard this time to match the grandeur of the door. This door had one of those neighbourhood watch stickers on its window, reminding him he wasn’t welcome. His charity collection box remained empty and he began welling up. It seemed pointless to continue.

As Terry walked away he heard what he thought was a woman shouting. Plagued by sleepless nights, tossing and turning (in-between crying), Terry shook it off as mild insanity. The shouting became screaming and he ran back to his previous competitor, attempting to latch his ear on its highly polished surface. Sure enough this woman was screaming, screeching, adding to the inhospitable feeling surrounding Terry.

“Hello! What’s happening? Are you in pain?” asked Terry. Unsure sure why he’d asked the last question, it seemed the obvious culprit for such a well behaved road.
“I’m having a BABY, you idiot. Call me an AMBULANCE!” shouted the woman. Terry didn’t carry a mobile phone after his wife died. Too many calls of sympathy and encouragement. And they weren’t going to get her memorial garden that he’d promised, completed any quicker.

Terry sought help from the neighbours he hadn’t yet tried, cut short by an expected silence. The road’s peculiar stillness once again ran through him. He'd only just begun getting back to “normal”, as promised.

He caught sight of a middle aged man walking his dog towards him and looking again, making sure it wasn’t a mirage. The man didn’t have a phone either but if he told him the house number he’d go home right away and ring them. Terry agreed and trotted back to the house.

His ear once again met the finely lacquered door, checking the woman was still OK. The front and back door couldn’t be opened and Terry told her he wasn't going anywhere until proper help came. Her crying grew louder and Terry couldn't help but think only about his wife Mary now. She didn't cry once.

Twenty minutes and several panicked exchanges passed, the ambulance finally arrived. Terry briefed the men and thought best not to hang around now they had the door open.

He could no longer continue collecting for Mary’s cause and dropped the bucket on the expecting woman’s wall. This was Mary’s purpose all along.