Martha

Chapter 13 Doors Open

Chapter 13
Doors Open

There was no doubt about how much this woman enjoyed in her unique morbid way what she provoked in me. It was some sort of hide and seek game I wasn't enjoying at all because I had the worst part in it. Not amused by the way she appeared out of nowhere to then disappear for long periods of times, Martha did it again and simply vanished from the Earth's surface to God only knew where since the last time I saw her at the museum. It's been a whole week and I hadn't seen my neighbor, and I hate that she didn't leave any trace to follow. No breadcrumbs to guide me this time. I was lost... Yes, somehow I felt lost.

Did I miss her? Yes, I missed Martha. Having that little chat at the exhibition and the way she smiled and giggled was something I had never expected to happen... not in a million years since I embarked myself into this mission of finding out who was Martha. Okey, I must admit that she was clever enough to make me think she had both some interest in me and in the same time didn't like me. Sometimes I thought I was ahead on the race, yet others I knew I was making a fool and only wasted my time in a nonsensical quest. But at the end of the day, the way her lips curved up shyly to smile to me, the way she teased me with her sardonic replies to then fan her eyes of sapphire to me, moved me to keep on.

In the way time passed by without having news on my beautiful neighbor, the situation took me to the limit of desperation and insanity. Like a detective, and never a stalker, I even bought a pair of binoculars... only to find myself spying on her from behind my window... not always a great idea, for the tall wall that divided her two story house from my small bungalow made it so difficult to have a decent spot. I was sure that she had a better look upon me than I had on hers.

That afternoon I swung like a child on the hammock in my porch, my eyes wandered a little around the desolated street and the houses in front of me. It was a quiet street, so I hadn't a lot to entertain myself with. The mailman parked his van in front of Martha's house, nothing out of this world, until I noticed him carrying a load of wooden boxes to the neighbor's house front portico. I remembered that this was what people talked about: the mailman bringing big wooden boxes occasionally. Yet they didn't seem they could hold sarcophagus or cauldrons inside of them. The mailman seemed to carry them effortlessly. The load shouldn't have been that heavy then. That added a bit more to the mystery.

Short after, the mailman approached to me. "Good evening Mr. Grau. Do you know if Mss. Higgins is home?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her for a while... but who does anyway?" I laughed to my own joke, yet the man remained immobile.

"Well, I have instructions to leave those boxes personally to Mss. Higgins. I rang the front door's bell several times and yet no one answered. Do you have any communication with her what so ever?" The mailman inquired.

"Yes, I do." I replied.

"Do you?" The man insisted, an incredulous mock drew on his face.

That was funny, he was the one who asked me. Maybe he was just trying to get some information out of me to gossip on her later. I thought. "Well, you asked me sir... Anyway, why do you want to know?" I asked him this time in a severe tone.

"I just wanted to know if I could leave these packages with you and if you could deliver them safely to her... It gives me goose bumps every time I come to that house." The mailman rubbed his arms along with the gestures of a funny scared face.

"Sure, let's go and bring them here." I replied eagerly. This was the opportunity I was seeking to go to Martha's territory... justified.

"Great! I left the signing pad there with the boxes."

I followed the delivery man to Martha's house, where five boxes were piled one atop the other. The phrases Fragile, Handle with care and This side goes up, were stenciled all over the wooden boxes. I signed the pad and the mailman left... left me there alone with the boxes while he hustled off to his van. What? The mailman fled without helping me to carry the boxes to my house. Damn! It was a long walk from this porch to the sidewalk and then to my house. Right, it was a just a heavy price to pay in order to get to know Martha a little bit more... not that heavy after all.

Before I decided to lift the boxes to take them home with me, I thought it was a good idea to knock the door one more time. Maybe Martha was napping, or taking a shower... Ufff... that image of Martha taking a shower. 'Stop Antonio with that! ¡Ponte serio y toca la puerta de una buena vez!' I chuckled to myself and knocked the door.

Three times I knocked, three times the bell rang. Only the sound of the crickets and the chirping birds was heard. There was NO answer... Oh, she was not taking that shower after all. I was about to turn away when I had an idea. A very stupid one, however, if I tried the doorknob... What an occurrence! Martha would never leave her door... Open! It was open! The doorknob turned, leaving me leaping with excitement. Then a little bit in shock, I hesitated to... only a second thought, nonetheless I pushed the door gently... it squeaked open in front of me while I stood next to the mysterious boxes at the witch's front door... opened.