Page 27 - Extraterrestrials, Foreign and Domestic

The Hermits

had a hard time getting any useful work out of me, and my
attention wandered one time too many.”
“Don’t you ever get bored?”
“Not if I can help it. What about you?”
“Me? Oh, maybe a little now and then. But not as much as
when I was working.”
Al was reminded of the future and its uncertainties. If Ricky
died first, then Al would bury him before dawn in the back yard,
air out the upstairs rooms, and be no worse off than before the
alien arrived. On the other hand, if Al predeceased Ricky, the
situation could become sticky. The state would seize the property
and sell it at auction, after burying Al in a cemetery and airing out
the downstairs rooms. The alien certainly could not remain in the
house during those proceedings!
“Listen, Ricky: what would you do if I suddenly, ah, died?”
There was no pause before the answer floated down the stairs.
“Either leave or find a way to stay here. You have no heirs, and
there’s nobody else I trust on this planet. We were very lucky to
find each other, Al. I will devote some time to considering this
eventuality, although it appears there is very little preparation I can
do for it. In the meantime, try to eat fewer potato chips.”
Al felt better after hearing Ricky’s remarks on the subject. His
responsibility definitely terminated with his own life; Al hated
dangling expectations, never wanted any sort of dog or cat he’d
have to worry about endlessly. Ricky was, above all, reasonable. Al
liked that. He sat down at his kitchen table, turned on the radio,
and opened a magazine. Retirement had become more like a
vacation since Ricky had moved in. Money no longer was a
problem; it was as simple as that.
He was suddenly startled by a light tapping on the screen door.
The old man’s gaze jerked from Sports Illustrated to the figure
silhouetted on the porch.
“Eh? Who’s there?”
“Uh, Mr. Osmoser, it’s me, Wilson from next-door.”
Al stood up too fast. His head spun. “Who? What do you
want?”
“Uh, Mr. Osmoser, Lorraine told me to give this to you.”

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