He came like a thief in the night, stealing away the property that had once belonged to a very different man than himself. There were no moving trucks, nor were there any friends with his things loaded onto the back of their vehicles. He simply arrived in his nineteen eighty-seven Cadillac Coupe Deville, unloaded an overstuffed suitcase, and went inside.
All along Bryer street, curious eyes watched for any sign of their new neighbor. The women were the first to witness his arrival and within seconds, plans were being made to make him feel welcome. Marsha Rowen called Keesha Robinson, who in turned called Dottie Hammond, and soon the three were chattering away. Before any of their husbands ever knew of their neighbor’s arrival, a small barbecue had been thought out down to the very last detail.
While their children were still at school, they rushed to the local supermarket and procured the ingredients that they would need for their feast. They’d chosen nothing too complicated; some hamburger and hotdogs, eggs to be deviled, some cabbage to make a slaw from and an apple pie from the bakery. Normally this would be baked fresh, but they were quickly running out of time!
Marsha agreed to pick up the children from school while the others returned to begin preparations for the party and calling their husbands to inform them of the evening’s festivities. Though the latter were tired from their day’s labors, they readily agreed to their wives’ plans. Anything that gave them an excuse to fire up their grills and drink a cold one was okay with them!
The women had thought of everything. Davie rolled out his custom made smoker, and the meat was soon cooking beneath a blanket of hickory smoke. John Rowen and Bob Hammond kept the children busy until one of them could be relieved to go invite their new neighbor over. It was going to be a perfect barbecue.
Or, at least it would have been.
From behind closed blinds, a narrowed pair of eyes watched the people of the neighborhood as they went about their business. He saw the curious glances that were cast his direction and watched the men who stood around the smoker, drinking beer, talking and occasionally gesturing at his new house.
The women had thought of everything, that is, except for the fact that maybe, just maybe, their new neighbor had no interest in the adults in his new community at all.
Beneath The Headstone 