Taking A Chance

Hey, Y'all, (Thank you, Niki, for the Sunshine Award!)

Taking A Chance - Chapter one-

All the way home, as the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled overhead, Susan's thoughts drifted back over the day. That customer was back again for the third time this week, looking curiously at her tiny five foot two frame, and unsmiling as he did so. Was he simply an admirer or was he hired to search for her? He always bought only junk food, sometimes only a pack of gum, some chips and a six-pack of beer.

Susan looked into the rear-view mirror and saw the car lights shining in her blue eyes, and wondered if she was being followed. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly and she almost crossed the center line.

"I have to get a grip on myself," she said, when the car turned off in a different direction.

Home at last, she turned into the driveway and parked the car in the spot reserved for her apartment, and putting her coat up over her head, ran for the doorway of the apartment house. Having taken the keys out of her purse before leaving the car, she had them ready to use. Quickly she inserted the door key, and after going inside, locked the door after herself.

Oh, it felt wonderful to be home at last! Susan turned up the heat slightly and, kicking off her shoes, thought about how good it would be to get out of the uniform and into her gown and a warm robe. First, however, she went into the kitchen and poured a cup of milk, and putting it into the microwave to heat, got out the box of ready mix chocolate drink.

What was that noise? Susan moved over to the window and looking out. could only see the occasional flashes of light as the rain hit the window panes. Was something moving around out there?

Glancing at the kitchen clock, she noted it was a little past midnight, and thought, "Girl, you gotta stop this shaking in your boots at every little noise. You are safe here." Closing the blue cafe curtains on the window to shut out the night, she turned to the dinging of the microwave and removed the hot milk.

It had been a long and tiring day, standing on her feet all day at the cash register of the local supermarket, smiling at the customers who sometimes came in complaining about the high prices. Of course, there was nothing she could do except commiserate with them, and tell them to have a good day when they took their groceries, and small children, going on their way.

Brinnnnnnnnng, brinnnnnnnng....the jangling of the telephone interrupted Susan's thoughts.

"Oh, no! Not a call at this time of night! Who could be calling me at this time of night?"

Susan's hands nearly dropped the cup of hot chocolate as she stood there thinking and listening to the phone. She didn't have caller ID, so she had no way of knowing who it could possibly be. Perhaps it was a wrong number. After about nine rings, it stopped. Susan let out the deep breath she had been holding.

Susan looked in the mirror at her tired face. There were new worry lines beginning to show around her mouth and eyes. Her dark curls of her shoulder length hair were drooping (it seemed to her), and she felt haggard looking. She had only been here in this little mid-western town for a couple of months, and was looking every bit of her 45 years. How fortunate for her that she had found work after two weeks of searching the ads and walking around, looking. She didn't know anyone in town well enough for them to be calling her at this hour.

Feeling she had covered her trail well enough that he could not find her again, she sank down into the kitchen chair to drink her hot chocolate. Her eyes filled with tears as she remembered her last encounter with him.

"Is it possible that he has found me even yet again? What do I do? Where do I run to now?"

Brinnnnnnnnnnng..Brinnnnnnnnnnnng..there it was again! Should she take a chance and answer it? She had to know...

Picking up the phone, she whispered, "Hello"....
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Well, friends, I thought I would try my hand at some suspense fiction. It is quite difficult, isn't it? It is a bright sunshiny day here in East Tennessee, and I'm hoping to finally finish the baby quilt for my great granddaughter, Brooke Renee, and get it sent off to her before I fly like a big bird out to Texas to see all the family out there. I will also get to see the grandchildren and great grands that live in Illinois, since they will be there for the wedding of my fourth grandson to be married. It has been two years since I will have seen most of those in Texas. Some of them did get this way last year when I was so very ill, near unto death. I appreciate both them and my daughter in Alabama for the help they all gave to me and Gramps. We had a lot of prayer and help from many different quarters of the earth. Friends and family near and far are so deeply appreciated.

Praises be to God! He spared my life for a while longer, and I am so very thankful for His mercies to me and my husband. My getting well was much more His doing than any of mine.

Gramps will probably be sleeping late today. I had to get him up yesterday so that after I got back from my checkup at the doctor's, we could go into Knoxville for our "Movie Day" with Mae and Imazo. I got a fairly good report from my family doctor. My liver enzymes are still up but some of them are down more than last time a month ago. I am off my Crestor because of my liver so naturally my total cholesterol is up, but the good thing is that my good cholesterol is up too. This may be TMI for some of you, but I know my daughters will be pleased to read this.

Oh, yeah, we had lunch at O'Charley's and then went to Imazo's house to watch the movie. I got the television turned on and set to watch, I opened the DVD case, and Shazam! It was empty, no DVD! Imagine our chagrin at that howdy do! Well, Imazo had no movies to watch, so I knew she needed to go to the grocery store and Mae was feeling tired, so we just found a station for them to watch, and we left Gramps and Mae to watch tevee and went to the store.

When we got back from Knoxville, I drove on up to Blockbusters and they said that had been happening a lot lately. People come in to steal the DVDs and pop the security tab off the package and slip the DVD into a pocket and out they go. The young man there gave me credit for the return of the case and I will pick up another DVD next week without any charge.

Well, folks, that is about it for today. I have some laundry to finish today as well as vacuuming to do. Much love to each of you, my friends out there in Blogland. This is Blabbin' Grammy signing off for today. More later. Bye for now.