Chapter 1
“Sweetheart, can you grab that last box off the U-Haul and take it to the kitchen for me?” I was the sweetheart she was talking about. Sixteen-year-old Keinali Lynn Jackson. I was an only child, but at times wished I had siblings to interact with. I have jet black hair that flows like a pony’s tail down to the base of my narrow shoulders. I consider myself a petite, bi-racial teenager that embodies characteristics from each of my parents. I also happen to be a little on the short side measuring at 5’4”. As I went back out to the truck to retrieve the box mommy asked me for, I happened to catch a glimpse of a body-shaped figure through the side mirrors.
Like a perfect WWF wrestler, standing at approximately 6’ tall, the figure was shirtless with ripples in his chest as though you were surfing on the wavy blue ocean in the midst of summer. Also, I captured eyes as deep and as blue as the northern skies.
“Hello,” said the tall figure. I turned around with the box in hand, startled by the deepened voice that would have any small animal scurrying away. I dropped it and all you could hear was the crushing of the precious crystal figurines, sounding like the thunder roars across the sky during a midnight storm. Everything was ejected from the box and all over the cement, looking like some young child’s art project that turned out bad.
“Oh, umm. . . Hello,” I replied as I bent down to pick up the box along with all the shattered pieces scattered all over the ground. My hand, in a shaken state, met with the gentleman’s as we both attempted to grab the items that were left of my mom’s beautiful treasures at the same time.
“Oh I’m so sorry,” the voice said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He spoke on the way down to the lower part of the earth where he once stood like the Jolly green giant. “I happened to see you and your parents unloading the U-Haul, and I thought It would be neighborly to come and introduce myself. My name is Alfonso. Alfonso Reid.” As I tried to compose myself and provide a proper introduction as well, I couldn’t help but feel some type of way. I began to get the chill down my spine that little kids get when they trick or treat on a scary Halloween night.
When I was finally able to meet the hazel, untrusting large eyes that made me feel imprisoned in the stare of the stranger, I spoke in a quivery but somewhat loud voice. “Hi, I’m Kenaili. My mom and dad are in the house. I’ll go get them.”
In the meantime, I was wondering how I was going to explain to my mom about the mess I’d made of her crystal collection. The so-called man of steel stood by the truck, waiting for me to go get my parents for the mutual introduction among neighbors. “Mom! Dad!” I yelled out as I entered the house with somewhat of an urgency.
“Yeah, honey,” mom replied. As I approached her, I explained that the man next door had come over to introduce himself after seeing them unload. “Daddy, there’s a man outside by the truck that wants to meet you guys.”
“Ok,” daddy stated. All three of us hurried back outside to meet the stranger. My parents had big welcoming smiles on their faces. They approached the gentleman with hands outward in a welcoming grasp-like form to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Erik. This is my wife Eileen, and I see you’ve already met my daughter.”
“Yes. Hi, I’m Alfonso. Nice to meet you.”
My mom stood looking with wonderment in her eyes as she slowly tuned into his well-rippled chest, trying to understand why he was shirtless. Alfonso caught the wandering eyes and looked down, as if to verify without words that he was shirtless. “I am so sorry. I happened to be outside indulging in some yard work and with it being a little warm, I slipped off my shirt. I didn’t want to miss the chance to meet the new kids on the block,” he said as he gave a little kid-like giggle, “so I hurried over when I saw your daughter grabbing the box off the truck.”
Still feeling a little uneasy, I stood with a smile on my face to graciously thank Mr. Alfonso for his explanation as well as his greeting. I wasn’t quite sure of my reservations regarding this man, but there was something there I couldn’t seem to explain. The uneasiness I got when he approached me when I was at the truck made me think he had a deep dark past, like a movie with a live scarecrow hiding in the cornfields waiting for the perfect prey.
I did know one thing. Until I really got to know the Mysterious Mr. Alfonso, I would definitely be watchful and cautious of him.
