Busted

Fiction

He hid in the hallway closet, leaning an ear against the door. The aunts were visiting and everyone was exchanging trifles and meaningless giggles that weighed heavily in the air. Along with strong, perfumed hugs.

“Where is Howard?” he heard someone ask, thinking it might be Auntie Faye.

“He-e-e … just ran out for something,” mom stammered, “he’ll be back soon.”

Howie Jr. held his breath, as he heard them pass the doorway. Just to be on the safe side, he slid into the darkness of a back corner, praying that his mother would not open the closet door. Crouched, he pulled at a persistent, grey, balled-up dust bunny that attached itself to his fleece pants.

The buoyant voices moved to the kitchen. Howie wondered if this was his chance to dash up the stairs to his bedroom.

“The bathroom is right down the hall, second door on the left,” he heard his mom bellow.

Howie heard the fumbling at the closet doorknob. “No-o-o, the second door,” he frantically thought, sending a telepathic message, mulling in arrogant disgust that blatant stupidity had mercifully skipped a generation in his family. A silent exhale, as he heard the washroom door noisily pushed shut.

Then, the sound of barking and a key turning the lock of the front door. His father was back from the bakery. Howie Jr. froze. If he had been thinking straight, he would have moved quicker. But now, the hallway was filled with shrieking chatter, escorting his father in.

Keep moving, keep moving, Junior prayed. Apparently, Willow was not tuned in. Instead, she was apparently possessed, incessantly barking and scratching at the closet door.

“Must be a cat,” he overheard dad say, laughing it off and guiding everyone back towards the kitchen. “Willow will pwo-tect us.”

Howie Jr. counted to ten and opened the door. Dad knew there was no cat.
No cat burglar. No strays. Junior made a break for it. He heard his foot creak on the first step board, when the restroom door flew open.

“Busted,” his dad remarked. “You coming in to say hello?”

© Connie Song 2020. All Rights Reserved.

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