Escape from the City with Delia

Jerome with Delia started to move toward the front door, but as soon as the children stepped onto the porch, one of the three Jehovah's Witnesses Delia had seen at the table walked out of the house. He was thin, wore glasses, and looked a little too calm and peaceful for someone who had just arrived at her parents' house.

When he saw them, he slowed down and waved as if to say hello, as if he were an old friend. His smile was wide, but his eyes were too attentive, as if he saw not just people, but some secrets in their gaze.

"Hello!" he exclaimed, coming a little closer.

But Delia, not expecting such attention, only looked at him with bewilderment, her eyes narrowing slightly. She did not answer. Instead, her gaze was sharp as a knife, and full of some strange doubt. This was the very man who, in her opinion, had no right whatsoever to interfere in her life.

"Some strange people... What do they want from us?" she thought, remaining silent and constantly glancing at the man, who seemed to be trying to understand her reaction.

He waved his hand again, but Delia didn't react.

Jerome, who was standing next to her, noticed her displeasure. He realized that the girl did not even want to see this man, and smiled back, also shaking his head slightly.

"You take all these people too seriously," Jerome said, not hiding a slight grin.

"I don't know anything about him, but I don't like it when someone tries to gain my trust, especially when I don't invite them," Delia answered, her voice was firm, but there was also a slight weariness in it.

Jehovah's Witness stood before them, his good-natured face slightly gloomy. He seemed slightly discouraged, but still did not give up.

"It's okay," he said with a smile. "I just wanted to say hello. You know, we're all a little different here. Sometimes we end up in places where we're not wanted. But that doesn't mean we don't want to be good neighbors."

His words sounded like abstract phrases, something like an apology, but Delia couldn't shake the feeling that this man was simply using phrases to hide his real intentions. Whoever he was, she didn't want her life to become part of his game.

Jerome, noticing her tension, stood a little closer and touched her shoulder, as if showing support.

"Let's not waste time on empty talk," he said, a little rudely, but with a sincere desire to get away from unnecessary meetings. "We've already left."

Delia nodded, her face serious and somewhat thoughtful. The Jehovah's Witness stood there for a few seconds, waiting for a reaction, but seeing that the conversation was not going well, he waved his hand again and walked away.

"Goodbye!" he said, turning his back to them.

When the man disappeared through the door, Delia breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she wouldn't spend too much time wondering who these people were or what they wanted. But her intuition told her to be wary. She always trusted her feelings at times like these.

"Come on," she said to Jerome, and they headed toward the gate without looking back.

Delia felt her tension ease a little. They were beginning to let go of the weight of thoughts and tension that came with the sudden appearance of Jehovah's Witnesses. But as she turned to head toward the street, she noticed her mother, Karen, coming out of the house. She was standing on the porch with the characteristic expression on her face that usually appeared when she was displeased or worried about something.

"Deedle!" Karen shouted, raising her hand. "Come here, now! Daddy wants to show you something!"

Delia didn't react right away. She quickly glanced around, as if trying to figure out what to do next. But she still didn't want to go back into the house - she had just gotten outside, and her plans were disrupted. Jerome, standing nearby, also noticed that the situation was changing again.

Delia turned and headed back toward the house. But as soon as Karen noticed Jerome next to her daughter, her gaze became a little wary.

"What are you doing here?" Karen asked, narrowing her eyes and turning her attention to Jerome. "Why aren't you home? Why aren't you with your parents?"

Jerome, not at a loss, came up with an answer rather quickly. He smiled a little nervously and said:

"I was just walking down the street and saw that you had some, well, interesting things going on here, so I thought I'd drop in," he replied, trying not to show his embarrassment. He didn't want Karen to know the real reason for his visit. "I didn't mean to bother you, I just thought it might be interesting."

Karen didn't hear anything unusual in his answer. She just nodded, raising an eyebrow, but still didn't ask how exactly he ended up at their house. Displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she quickly hid it under her usual smile.

"Okay then," Karen said, sighing slightly. "Just don't be late. Deedle, hurry up, your daddy wants to show you something important."

Delia could hardly contain her irritation. She wanted to object again, but seeing her mother's stern look, she chose to remain silent. Jerome stood next to her, giving her a sign that he would not interfere. He understood that her mother would now have the situation under control.

"Okay, Mom, I'm going," Delia said, although she wasn't sure she really wanted to go. The feeling of frustration about everything that was happening didn't leave her. Jerome, noticing her mood, tried to add optimism.

"I'll wait for you here," he said quietly. "Everything's fine. I won't disturb you."

Delia nodded without answering and went into the house, leaving Jerome outside. She was sure that her mother would soon forget about this date and everything would return to normal. But for now, at least, she could not and did not want to tell Karen that her meeting with Jerome was not just an accident.

Delia stepped into the house and froze for a moment. The hallway smelled fresh, as if the floors had just been washed and were still damp. She saw her dad, Gene, standing there talking on the phone. He was wearing a robe and a big red cap with a tassel on his head. Delia didn't immediately understand what kind of outfit it was, but then she remembered that her dad had just taken a shower-that's when he usually looked like a kid with nowhere to rush off to.