Page 1 of When You Least Expect It
Prologue
Icouldn’t believehow happy I was to have a new neighbor, something that I hadn’t ever really thought much about until now.Moving into my home a few years ago, it’d taken me a few weeks to realize that most of the households had been made up of older families, giving me nothing in common with them.However, my new neighbor looked to be around my age, and the lack of a wedding ring on her finger was something else that we had in common.
Crossing the street, I walked a couple of houses down, then greeted my new neighbor as she made another trip to the moving truck.“Hey there.”
She stopped what she was doing, then turned to face me, a smile already forming on her lips.“Well, hello there,” she greeted back.
Smiling, I said, “I’m one of your neighbors a couple of houses down, and I was just wondering if you needed any extra help.”
She gestured towards the traffic going in and out of her home as she said, “Oh, I have plenty of help, though I appreciate your offer very much.God is never wrong, you know.”
Okay.
“I’m Louise, by the way,” she said, finally introducing herself.“Louise Mackrell.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Louise,” I replied earnestly.“I’m Calista Glenn, and I live at the end of the street, left side.”
“Oh, then you must be the one,” she gushed, and I couldn’t lie and say that her comment hadn’t given me immediate pause.
“I’m sorry,” I said as kindly as possible.“Be the one for what?”
Louise stepped closer, then without asking permission, took my hands in hers, and she looked so sincere when she said, “God told me that he was moving me to this neighborhood for a reason, and I believe that you are that reason.”
Trying desperately not to be rude, I kept a smile on my face as I pulled my hands from hers.“Uh, maybe you’re jumping the gun a bit,” I told her.“I mean, maybe you should decide that after you’ve met all the neighbors, because I’m fairly certain that God probably has bigger fish to fry than me.”
She immediately scowled.“Are you suggesting that God doesn’t think that you’re important, Calista?Can I call you Callie?I think Callie suits you better.”
“Uhm, I’d rather you didn’t,” I replied honestly.“I prefer Calista.”
“Perhaps that’s where the disconnect is coming from,” she said.“You should open yourself up to other possibilities, and I think Callie would have a better spiritual avenue with God than Calista would have.”
What in the Sweet Baby Jesus?
“Uhm, you know what?”I said, snapping my fingers like a tool.“I think I should let you get back to this whole moving thing, and...and well, we can talk some more later.”
Louise smiled again.“Oh, I’d love that.I also think that we can begin our spiritual walks next week, after I’ve gotten settled in.”
“Spiritual walks?”I echoed.
“Yes,” she replied.“Every morning, we can power-walk around the neighborhood, and that will prepare us to face whatever challenges the day might bring.You know, it’s been proven that exercise is good for the soul.”
Yeah, not happening.
“Well, I’ll let you finish up here and...and let you meet all of the other neighbors,” I told her.“I’ll just...I have to get back home and take care of that...that thing that needs to be taken care of.I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” she replied gleefully.
Giving her one last passable smile, I turned, then damn near jogged back to my house and safety.I mean, I believed in God, and while I didn’t go to church faithfully every Sunday, I still said my prayers, and I was always all in for Easter and Christmas, but still...what the fuck?
Once I was safely back inside my house, I locked the front door like a looney bird, then quickly closed all the blinds, though it was only three in the afternoon.After that, I went to sit down on the couch, needing to process what just happened.
I mean, seriously...what the fuck?
