Monday, July 12, 2004
So I didn't write about this when it happened because, well, it's creepy. I don't like to think about it. A few weeks ago when I was walking up to my door, a strange little blond girl in a dress that was at least 2 sizes to big came bounding up to me.
Strange little girl: HI! I'M SHANNON!!
Me: Hi, Shannon. I'm Sara.
Shannon: HI, SARA!! I JUST LOVE YOUR DOG!
Me: Thanks.
Top is barking frantically in the back yard, I'm trying to dodge the girl and get in the door.
Shannon: Can I pet your dog?
Me: Umm...sure, just a second.
I put down my swimming gear, pocket my keys and walk to the side of the house to free Top. Petting ensues.
Shannon: I'm going to play with your dog in your back yard.
Me: Umm...where do you live?
Shannon: Just down the street (pointing) over there.
Me: Ok, go ask your mom.
Shannon: She knows where I am.
I have never seen this girl. I have never met her mother. How could her mother know where she was??
Me: Still, I would feel better if you would let her know that you were going to be in my yard. Wait, I want to go with you and meet her.
If I'm going to have a strange child in my yard, don't you think it appropriate that I meet her mother? I have been assuming this entire time that she lives in the house cati-corner from me. I have not met them, but know that they have children. It's not so weird that a mother would let her 9 year old go across the street to meet the neighbor's dog, right? Ok. No, she lived 2 blocks away. I carry Top the entire time, not having gone inside to get the leash.
Me to Shannon's mom: Hi. I'm Sara. Shannon wanted to play with my dog and I told her she had to ask her mom first.
I'm feeling very awkward. This is weird.
Shannon's mom to me: OK
Shannon's mom to Shannon: Check in with me in one hour, ok?
An HOUR? I have things to do! I have to work! You don't even know me and you are sending your little girl home with me for an HOUR?! Any why is your 9 year old tramping the streets alone? This is Kansas City, for Pete's sake! Don't you watch the news, woman?
Shannon, Top, and I walk back to my house and go in the back yard. Shannon quickly becomes discouraged when she realizes that Top isn't really the playing sort of dog. It has been about 5 minutes.
Me: I'm going to walk you home now. I have to work.
Shannon: Is it 11:00 already?
Me: Yes.
Shannon: Do you have a cat?
Me: I don't know where she is. She's hiding. Ready to go?
Shannon: What's her name?
Me: Lucy.
Shannon: I'm going to go inside and look for Lucy.
Go inside? You're just going to walk into my house, you strange little freak girl? NOOOOOO!
Me: We'll go grab Top's leash, lock the door, and I'll walk you home. If we see Lucy on the way from the back door to the front door, great.
We go inside and Lucy is waiting for us. Shannon picks up the cat, without asking, and sits down on the couch. This is weird. I feel very uncomfortable having this little girl in my house. I don't have any kids. There is no good reason for her to be in my house alone with me. This is weird. I grab Top's leash.
Me: Ready?
Shannon: I haven't eaten anything all day.
Me: Well, you should have had breakfast, like I did.
Shannon: I haven't eaten and I'm so hungry. I really love green apples, like those kind on your table, I really love those apples.
Me: Oh, really?
Shannon: Yeah, I really love those kind of apples like you have right there.
Me (reluctantly): Do you want an apple, Shannon?
Shannon: Yeah!
Me: Shall I cut it for you?
Shannon: No. takes a bite Yes, cut it for me.
I cut the apple, feeling that this is getting way out of hand. I put the apple in a dish and tell Shannon that she can eat in on the way home. Shannon insisted on holding Top's leash, and just demanded a piece of apple when she was ready for one. I was feeling a little better now that I was taking her home.
Shannon: Maybe I could babysit your dog while you're at work?
Me (slightly panicked): NO! Top is fine in the yard. Shannon, you are not to go in my yard to play with Top. You are not to pet Top through the fence. You can say hi to her, but DO NOT TOUCH HER OR GO IN MY YARD. Understand?
Shannon: Sure!
Finally, I deliver her safe and sound to her own home. I wasn't far before she came running up behind me, grabbing Top's leash.
Shannon: My mom said that I could walk home with you and Top!
Me: Great.
I asked her about school and stuff until I got to my house. Then I told her very firmly to go home.
Shannon: Can I come back later?
Me: No, I'm working.
Shannon: Can I come over tomorrow?
Me: No, we're having company this weekend.
Shannon: The day after tomorrow?
Me: No, you cannot come over here. Walk home carefully.
Later that afternoon I answer a knock on the door. It's Shannon.
Me: Shannon, what are you doing here?
Shannon: I wanted to show you what I got!
She holds out a cup of assorted candy.
Me: Where did you get that candy?
Shannon: Over there.
So she's been bothering other neighbors, as well.
Me: Shannon, you cannot come over here. I am working. I am very busy.
Shannon: Can I come over tomorrow?
Me: NO! You cannot come over here anymore.
Anyway, I hadn't seen the little freak since then until a couple of days ago. I was working in my office, looked out the window, and there she was, right outside my window. I almost had a heart attack. There's something about that little girl that scares me. I don't know what she was doing here, but I think she was bugging the mailman. I haven't seen her since.
Strange little girl: HI! I'M SHANNON!!
Me: Hi, Shannon. I'm Sara.
Shannon: HI, SARA!! I JUST LOVE YOUR DOG!
Me: Thanks.
Top is barking frantically in the back yard, I'm trying to dodge the girl and get in the door.
Shannon: Can I pet your dog?
Me: Umm...sure, just a second.
I put down my swimming gear, pocket my keys and walk to the side of the house to free Top. Petting ensues.
Shannon: I'm going to play with your dog in your back yard.
Me: Umm...where do you live?
Shannon: Just down the street (pointing) over there.
Me: Ok, go ask your mom.
Shannon: She knows where I am.
I have never seen this girl. I have never met her mother. How could her mother know where she was??
Me: Still, I would feel better if you would let her know that you were going to be in my yard. Wait, I want to go with you and meet her.
If I'm going to have a strange child in my yard, don't you think it appropriate that I meet her mother? I have been assuming this entire time that she lives in the house cati-corner from me. I have not met them, but know that they have children. It's not so weird that a mother would let her 9 year old go across the street to meet the neighbor's dog, right? Ok. No, she lived 2 blocks away. I carry Top the entire time, not having gone inside to get the leash.
Me to Shannon's mom: Hi. I'm Sara. Shannon wanted to play with my dog and I told her she had to ask her mom first.
I'm feeling very awkward. This is weird.
Shannon's mom to me: OK
Shannon's mom to Shannon: Check in with me in one hour, ok?
An HOUR? I have things to do! I have to work! You don't even know me and you are sending your little girl home with me for an HOUR?! Any why is your 9 year old tramping the streets alone? This is Kansas City, for Pete's sake! Don't you watch the news, woman?
Shannon, Top, and I walk back to my house and go in the back yard. Shannon quickly becomes discouraged when she realizes that Top isn't really the playing sort of dog. It has been about 5 minutes.
Me: I'm going to walk you home now. I have to work.
Shannon: Is it 11:00 already?
Me: Yes.
Shannon: Do you have a cat?
Me: I don't know where she is. She's hiding. Ready to go?
Shannon: What's her name?
Me: Lucy.
Shannon: I'm going to go inside and look for Lucy.
Go inside? You're just going to walk into my house, you strange little freak girl? NOOOOOO!
Me: We'll go grab Top's leash, lock the door, and I'll walk you home. If we see Lucy on the way from the back door to the front door, great.
We go inside and Lucy is waiting for us. Shannon picks up the cat, without asking, and sits down on the couch. This is weird. I feel very uncomfortable having this little girl in my house. I don't have any kids. There is no good reason for her to be in my house alone with me. This is weird. I grab Top's leash.
Me: Ready?
Shannon: I haven't eaten anything all day.
Me: Well, you should have had breakfast, like I did.
Shannon: I haven't eaten and I'm so hungry. I really love green apples, like those kind on your table, I really love those apples.
Me: Oh, really?
Shannon: Yeah, I really love those kind of apples like you have right there.
Me (reluctantly): Do you want an apple, Shannon?
Shannon: Yeah!
Me: Shall I cut it for you?
Shannon: No. takes a bite Yes, cut it for me.
I cut the apple, feeling that this is getting way out of hand. I put the apple in a dish and tell Shannon that she can eat in on the way home. Shannon insisted on holding Top's leash, and just demanded a piece of apple when she was ready for one. I was feeling a little better now that I was taking her home.
Shannon: Maybe I could babysit your dog while you're at work?
Me (slightly panicked): NO! Top is fine in the yard. Shannon, you are not to go in my yard to play with Top. You are not to pet Top through the fence. You can say hi to her, but DO NOT TOUCH HER OR GO IN MY YARD. Understand?
Shannon: Sure!
Finally, I deliver her safe and sound to her own home. I wasn't far before she came running up behind me, grabbing Top's leash.
Shannon: My mom said that I could walk home with you and Top!
Me: Great.
I asked her about school and stuff until I got to my house. Then I told her very firmly to go home.
Shannon: Can I come back later?
Me: No, I'm working.
Shannon: Can I come over tomorrow?
Me: No, we're having company this weekend.
Shannon: The day after tomorrow?
Me: No, you cannot come over here. Walk home carefully.
Later that afternoon I answer a knock on the door. It's Shannon.
Me: Shannon, what are you doing here?
Shannon: I wanted to show you what I got!
She holds out a cup of assorted candy.
Me: Where did you get that candy?
Shannon: Over there.
So she's been bothering other neighbors, as well.
Me: Shannon, you cannot come over here. I am working. I am very busy.
Shannon: Can I come over tomorrow?
Me: NO! You cannot come over here anymore.
Anyway, I hadn't seen the little freak since then until a couple of days ago. I was working in my office, looked out the window, and there she was, right outside my window. I almost had a heart attack. There's something about that little girl that scares me. I don't know what she was doing here, but I think she was bugging the mailman. I haven't seen her since.
