the one in my pocket. I drive to the next street behind theirs. I can’t just walk up and hand over their stolen watch. Would I ever have the police on my back if I pulled a trick like that! I can’t put it in their mailbox or leave it on the doormat. I’ve got a plan in mind that I’ve got to make work.
I park the car, palm the watch, and put on the mirror glasses and scarf, tying it to cover my hair. I walk briskly around the corner and down the Dickerys’ street, slowing as I near the house. I don’t know who might be watching, so I’ve got to make this look good. I stop in front of the house and stare at a spot halfway up the walk, under their boxwood hedge. I like that hedge. It’s going to come in handy.
After standing there for a moment I move a few steps up their walk. The front door opens. Great. I thought I’d have to do this alone, and now I think I’ll have help. I glance up to see a little boy, about six years old or so.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he answers. “What do you want?”
“There’s something shiny under your hedge,” I tell him. “I noticed it glittering in the sunlight. At first I thought it was a garden sprinkler—something like that —but it’s yellow, like gold. Do you see it?”
He looks at me suspiciously. “Where?”
“Right there. Look.” I get to the spot at which I was staring before he can get down his porch steps. I kneel and reach in, under the hedge, coming up with the watch, which I dangle in front of him.
His eyes are wide. “That’s my dad’s watch!”
“It’s a nice watch. He should have been more careful with it.”
“Mom!” the boy yells. “C’mere quick!”
A woman who must go to the same hairdresser that my mother does comes through the open door and down the steps so fast that I scramble out of her way.
But she stops a few inches from me and glares at me as I stand up. “What’s the matter? What’s going on here, Jimmy?”
Jimmy hops up and down, narrowly missing my toes. “She found Dad’s watch!”
The woman’s eyes open wide as her frown seems to slide up her forehead and into her lacquered hair. I hand her the watch.
“It is!” she says. “It
is
the watch I gave Phil!”
Now she puckers into suspicion. It’s like watching someone in a drama class trying to express a variety of emotions. “Where did you get this?” she asks me.
“Under the hedge!” Jimmy yells, before I can answer.
“Let her talk.” The woman claps a hand on his shoulder, trying to hold him down.
“That’s right,” I tell her. “I was taking a walk, saw something shiny down there, and fished it out.”
“I saw it too!” Jimmy shouts. “It was right down there! I saw it! I helped find it!”
Dear little Jimmy. He really did his good deed for the day. It might have been a lot tougher without him.
Now the woman is confused. “Oh,” she says. She says it again.
That’s enough conversation as far as I’m concerned. “I’m glad Jimmy found his father’s watch,” I say and turn to go.
But she takes a step next to me. “Please don’t rush off,” she says. “I suppose you’re the one who really found it, and—”
“I helped! I found it too!” Jimmy interrupts. “I bet the burglars dropped it!”
Now I’m the one in acting class. I try to look amazed. “Burglars?”
“We were robbed Wednesday night,” the woman says. “They took some jewelry—all sorts of things. And there is a reward for their return. I’m sure you must want whatever part of the reward my husband will give you for his watch.”
“No,” I say. “I just saw it, and Jimmy”—I beam at him—“Jimmy really found it. Didn’t you, Jimmy?”
“That’s what I keep telling you, Mom!” Jimmy yells.
“But the reward—”
“I don’t want the reward. Thanks, anyway.”
I’m two houses away when she suddenly wakes up and shouts, “You didn’t tell me your name!”
I just turn briefly, wave, and smile, and keep walking, pretending that I
I park the car, palm the watch, and put on the mirror glasses and scarf, tying it to cover my hair. I walk briskly around the corner and down the Dickerys’ street, slowing as I near the house. I don’t know who might be watching, so I’ve got to make this look good. I stop in front of the house and stare at a spot halfway up the walk, under their boxwood hedge. I like that hedge. It’s going to come in handy.
After standing there for a moment I move a few steps up their walk. The front door opens. Great. I thought I’d have to do this alone, and now I think I’ll have help. I glance up to see a little boy, about six years old or so.
“Hi,” I say.
“Hi,” he answers. “What do you want?”
“There’s something shiny under your hedge,” I tell him. “I noticed it glittering in the sunlight. At first I thought it was a garden sprinkler—something like that —but it’s yellow, like gold. Do you see it?”
He looks at me suspiciously. “Where?”
“Right there. Look.” I get to the spot at which I was staring before he can get down his porch steps. I kneel and reach in, under the hedge, coming up with the watch, which I dangle in front of him.
His eyes are wide. “That’s my dad’s watch!”
“It’s a nice watch. He should have been more careful with it.”
“Mom!” the boy yells. “C’mere quick!”
A woman who must go to the same hairdresser that my mother does comes through the open door and down the steps so fast that I scramble out of her way.
But she stops a few inches from me and glares at me as I stand up. “What’s the matter? What’s going on here, Jimmy?”
Jimmy hops up and down, narrowly missing my toes. “She found Dad’s watch!”
The woman’s eyes open wide as her frown seems to slide up her forehead and into her lacquered hair. I hand her the watch.
“It is!” she says. “It
is
the watch I gave Phil!”
Now she puckers into suspicion. It’s like watching someone in a drama class trying to express a variety of emotions. “Where did you get this?” she asks me.
“Under the hedge!” Jimmy yells, before I can answer.
“Let her talk.” The woman claps a hand on his shoulder, trying to hold him down.
“That’s right,” I tell her. “I was taking a walk, saw something shiny down there, and fished it out.”
“I saw it too!” Jimmy shouts. “It was right down there! I saw it! I helped find it!”
Dear little Jimmy. He really did his good deed for the day. It might have been a lot tougher without him.
Now the woman is confused. “Oh,” she says. She says it again.
That’s enough conversation as far as I’m concerned. “I’m glad Jimmy found his father’s watch,” I say and turn to go.
But she takes a step next to me. “Please don’t rush off,” she says. “I suppose you’re the one who really found it, and—”
“I helped! I found it too!” Jimmy interrupts. “I bet the burglars dropped it!”
Now I’m the one in acting class. I try to look amazed. “Burglars?”
“We were robbed Wednesday night,” the woman says. “They took some jewelry—all sorts of things. And there is a reward for their return. I’m sure you must want whatever part of the reward my husband will give you for his watch.”
“No,” I say. “I just saw it, and Jimmy”—I beam at him—“Jimmy really found it. Didn’t you, Jimmy?”
“That’s what I keep telling you, Mom!” Jimmy yells.
“But the reward—”
“I don’t want the reward. Thanks, anyway.”
I’m two houses away when she suddenly wakes up and shouts, “You didn’t tell me your name!”
I just turn briefly, wave, and smile, and keep walking, pretending that I
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