Him

By Maryanna Gabriel


      Of course now that I have had time to think on it could have been, him. He. That person. He has been here before sabotaging the front of the property. The RCMP had scratched their heads as to the reason at the time. None of it made any sense.

      People often don't I have noticed.  

      Last spring I had a tenant. He seemed harmless enough. He was very tall with a slight stoop, middle aged, and peered at me through black thick glasses sideways with a slight twist to his lips. He did not speak English very well. When he did it was through half of his mouth. He was from Northern Quebec. He seemed harmless enough. We managed for awhile but then things became a bit problematic with garbage. He never made it to the weekly deadline and so I solved the problem by collecting it myself. Piles were accumulating on the porch. I began to realize he was a hoarder. Food was on every surface of the cottage. Garbage also piled up around his vehicles. I spoke to him about it and he stopped. We managed and I let a lot slide like the day he spray painted blue on the drive gravel. I started to hide my tools. It seemed they were being used. Then one day he went too far....