Candlestick

It has only been three days since my dad went to Chicago. But it feels as if it has been a lot longer as I sit in the heavy humid air of this Thursday evening. I have the window unit on as I wait for the room to cool down enough so that I can turn it off and actually hear the television without the roar of the air conditioner. Comfort doesn’t come with out a price. It also isn’t the safest thing in my mind, with my mom working double shifts and not getting in till much later that night and my grandmother in the next room sleeping while my dog thinks of more ways to wake her up it would be difficult to hear if anyone just happened to break in.
Yes, I know that it is a silly idea that just because my dads away and I’m home almost alone with the light of the day slowly dissipating and darkness drawing closer something bad will happen. Despite the fact that I know how ridiculous and paranoid my thinking is the candle stick that usually stands out in the hallways now occupies the space by my bed and will continue to do so until my dad comes home next Thursday. I look at it this way of someone was to come into my house I would be ready to defend my self with the sharp metal spear attached to the top of the heavy, carved wooden base.
I have to some how survive the next two hours and thirty six minutes, but how with all the creepy sounds that I hear and all the sounds that I know are there but I can’t hear what they are because I’m trying to focus my attention away from them. As I’m trying to get all of this out of my mind the motion sensor light outside turns on I jump up from my bed to look over the window unit to see what cause the light to turn on. I feel a rush of excitement and relief as it is my best friend coming to keep me company for the next two hours and eleven minutes until my mom gets home from the late shift at the hospital. As nine O’clock roles around we patiently await the results show of So you think you can Dance and watch as the dancers get eliminated. Yes this is how I spend my summer nights in front of the television set watching the one show that I cant get enough off and waiting for the next commercial break to get something to drink. And even though I am paranoid and worried about what can be happening downstairs while I am mesmerized by the television set it doesn’t seem to cross my mind.
The bark of my Yorkshire terrier, Toby startles me but I sit there hoping that the commercial break will come soon and I can down and see what’s going on I’m just happy I’m not sitting here by myself. Thirty seconds later the commercial break started and my dog is still carrying on with his bark. And even though I am not here by myself and only have one hour and nine minutes left and my dog happens to bark at everything he sees or hears including the wind I still get a knot in my stomach.
Jessica my friend goes first not caring she’s used to having an empty house and really doesn’t see much of a difference, she doesn’t even notice when I pick up my candle stick and follow her down or that I’m scared. She’s just curious as to what my dog is barking at and as me approach the bottom of the stairs she turns around saying “Where’s the light- hahahahahahaha” and almost falls down the last two steps.
She had finally noticed the candle stick in my hand and broke out laughing. After we got downstairs saw that my dog was once again barking at his own reflection and got something to drink we headed back upstairs to sit in the cold room. And for the next hour I got to listen to how funny my caring the candlestick actually was we didn’t stop until seven minutes before my mom got home and she was on her way. I really got to see how amusing it is when I have nothing to be afraid of and when I’m not acting my age. This will be a story she will be telling for years to come and at our high school reunion.