I remained silent when my neighbor took things from my property. I even pretended to ignore her when she started using my electricity . But the night I finally stood up for myself, karma struck me twice. And she didn’t see the second blow coming.Electricity companies
Most mornings, the hardest decision I had to make was whether my tomatoes needed watering before breakfast.Compliance with the law
At sixty-four, I loved my life that way.
After enough surprises to fill a lifetime, thirty-two years spent in the same small suburban house had taught me to appreciate ordinary days.
One morning, I made my coffee, opened my electricity bill and discovered that the electricity company had apparently disappeared without warning.
I fixed the amount of the gaze.
Then he stared at the ground again.Disappearances and abductions
“That’s not possible,” I said aloud, even though the only one who could hear me was my cat.
The bill was almost double what I usually paid.
Not ten or twenty dollars more.
Almost double.
I checked the account number.
Then the meter reading.Books and literature
Finally, I went out to the electrical box next to my garage and squinted to look at the numbers, as if they would be ashamed and correct themselves.
They didn’t do it.
I went home and called my daughter, Diane.
Because when you’re a widow and something doesn’t make sense, apparently you call your daughter pretending you just want to chat.
“Mom, did you leave the air conditioning on again with a window open?”Electricity companies
