Just because it came to me while driving...

A second second short essay:

Criminals

"Are you doing anything tonight?" she asked me.

"Not particularly," I answered, "Why?"

"I need your help."

"Okay, with what?"

"Breaking the law," she said.

"Are we going to get arrested?"

"I doubt it."

"Should I meet you at your house?"


We crept through the run-down apartment complex at a brisk five miles per hour, checking building numbers.

"Is that it?" I asked.

"Nope."

"It's so hard to see in the dark."

"Wait! Number eleven! That's it! Do you want to get out of the car or do you want me to?"

"Can we both go?" I asked, a little uneasy about going, but also uneasy about letting her go alone.

"I guess so."

We both got out of the car, careful to not slam the doors shut, the less attention drawn to us the better.  In her hand was a post-it with an address, in mine, a sealed envelope.  We had stopped at Shop Rite on the way, picked up a "Thinking of You" card and a $100 Shop Rite gift card.  We didn't write anything in it, just placed the gift card in and sealed it shut.  

"Think anyone will steal it out of the mailbox?" she asked.

"I doubt it."

"I hope they still live here!" she laughed.

"Well, if not, you'll make someone else's day."

"I guess."

When we got back into the car I asked, "So, who are these people anyway?"

"A little old couple I met at work. The old man sat at my window and told me that they live on Ramen noodles and white bread.  By the end of the conversation he was in tears.  Usually I don't believe the tears, people cry to me all the time, but this one was different.  I believed him."

"And he gave you his address?"

"No.  I took it out of our computer system before I left work today."

"Can you do that?"

"No."

"So we're criminals."

"Yep."