Bandaids

Blondie hopped up next to me on the couch, shaking me out of the confused daze that came over me in light of the mess inside Gary's apartment. Sheba stayed off the furniture, curling up on her doggie bed in front of a fake fire place. In no time, Sheba was snoring away, loudly.

“She’s tired. She plays hard with Blondie.” Gary said as he pet Blondie lovingly. This one simple act made me feel much more comfortable.

“You have such a kind and gentle nature. It’s hard to imagine you robbing people,” I said as I leaned back on the couch. I felt something hard underneath me. I reached under the cushions and found an old can of dog food that had gotten lodged in there. I discreetly pulled it out while Gary’s attention was focused on opening a bottle of wine. I hoped it was Sheba who hid it there, and not her master. I placed it carefully next to the couch, wiping my hand on the carpet.

“My Mom died when I was only thirteen and I never knew my dad. I had to do something to survive,” he explained as he joined us on the couch, kissing the top of my dog’s head while handing me a glass of red wine. “I learned to live on the streets quickly. As I got older, I fancied myself a modern day Robin Hood only I robbed from the rich and gave to myself, the poor,” he looked up as he poured the wine. “I found that the best time to rob people was when they were throwing a party.”

“You mean you crashed parties and then stole from the host?”

“That’s exactly what I did,” he said grinning. “The bigger the party the better cuz I could get lost in the crowd. They usually hid the goods in their bathroom. Bandaid cans seemed to be the most popular hiding spot.”

“You’re kidding,” I said and sat back, knocking some loose papers off the back of the couch. They went flying behind us. I felt mortified but he didn't even seem to notice.

“I dressed up in my tux and went to the party then ducked out to the master bedroom, took the loot and slipped through a window.”