Maggie watched her daughter play with a stranger, but something seemed off. The other little girl suddenly stopped and looked off into the distance. Her energy was strange and her daughter Lily, seemed to be aware of it. It would have been impossible for anyone else to notice. Maggie considered walking over and taking Lily home. Perhaps she was being a bit rash, after all they were two little girls playing in the park.

Maggie was a good mother; not aloof like some of the other moms. She was raising Lily on her own and she was determined to get it right. She felt fortunate to have a smart, easygoing daughter, who didn’t cling or whine. On this occasion Lily looked over to her mom as if to say, “Help mommy.”

Maggie watched closely, knowing she was within arms reach and they were just children. The other little girl’s mother walked up to Maggie and sat beside her. She introduced herself as Kate, her daughter as Flora, and sat beside Maggie. Kate pointed out how nicely the girls were getting along. Maggie thought to herself, I guess she doesn’t see it. Maggie decided to keep her thoughts to herself . . . for a change. Kate spoke to Maggie as if she’d always known her, making Maggie a bit uncomfortable. Minutes into the conversation, Kate suggested a playdate at her house. Maggie reluctantly agreed, she thought it was important not to alienate people. Kate seems nice enough, but still, Maggie’s guard was up.

Later that evening she was sitting on her sofa with Lilly and Lilly told her that she didn’t want to go to Flora’s house. Lily seemed very uncomfortable and on the verge of tears. Maggie couldn’t just let it go, probing further, Lily finally opened up.

“Mommy, she told me that I would never be a big girl.”

“Flora said I was going away soon.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I thought that Lily might have been imagining things or making it up. Then I recalled witnessing Lily’s discomfort at the playground and further, Lily didn’t make up stories. Maggie knew she’d have to confront Kate; she’d have to deal with this.

First Maggie assured Lily that she would never have to go to Flora’s house, then she told Lily that she surely would grow up and that she wouldn’t be leaving Hillcrest. The next day Maggie got a friend to watch Lily at home for an hour while she did some chores. Maggie’s first stop was the playground at the park. Fortunately, Kate was there with Flora.

Maggie walked over to Kate and explained that Lily was with a friend. She asked that Lily and Flora’s playdate be moved to her house instead of Kate’s house because Maggie needed to be home for a delivery. Kate agreed to come over with Flora that Friday. It left Maggie three days.

Friday morning Kate rapped on the door with Flora by her side. Maggie had already made sure Lily was out of harm’s way, safely with a friend on the other side of town. Maggie’s friend also knew that if she hadn’t heard from Maggie by 11:00 a.m., to call the police.

Maggie noticed Flora’s eyes were black as coal and she appeared soulless; Kate was harder to read. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect her child and she needed to make sure this encounter would soon be a distant memory. Maggie answered the door with a welcoming smile.

Kate seemed somewhat off-balance; angry and unable to understand Lily’s absence.

“Lily is where?”

“Why didn’t you call to let me know Maggie?”

“Sit down Kate, we need to talk.”

“I don’t understand, this was supposed to be a playdate for the girls.”

Kate finally agreed to sit on the sofa and listen to what Maggie had to say. Maggie felt empowered by her motherly instincts.

“You need to listen closely Kate, because what I have to say is extremely important. I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but I don’t like you or trust you.”

Kate looked over at her daughter who was about 10 feet away playing with a toy she’d brought along. She was about to say something to Maggie, who quickly let her know that she wasn’t finished.

“This neighborhood is a safe place for good people with good intentions; clearly you do not belong here. My advice to you, is to pack your bags and go as soon as possible. I’m warning you that in the meantime, if you and Flora go near the park or any of the children in the neighborhood, you will pay a price. I honestly don’t know what you’re up to, but you’ve come to the wrong place. Is there anything unclear about what I’m saying to you.”

Kate stood up, walked over to Flora and grabbed her hand. She refused to look at Maggie or acknowledge her words. It was at that point Maggie knew she was dealing with pure evil. Kate walked to the front door with Flora and opened it. Kate turned, looked at Maggie and said:

“You might think you’ve gotten rid of us just because after today you won’t see us in the neighborhood, but trust me, we’re not going away. Flora has her eyes on your Lily. Be careful Maggie, be very careful.”

They left the door open and walked away from the house, Maggie knew there was only one thing left to do. She was certain that Flora would never go anywhere near her Lily.

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I had some passport issues I had to deal with this week; a trip to the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, etc. I decided to make the most of it and ended up staying on a houseboat and eating some terrific Mexican food. Despite having an extremely flatulent individual behind me on the bus home, it was a fairly pleasant 24 hours. This was all so I can carry out my much anticipated trip to Poland next week.

I’m writing this post from Salir, a small town in the Algarvian mountains. Peaceful (no loud motorbikes and/or barking dogs), delicious food, and only 40 minutes from home. I haven’t taken photos because I think I’m overloading my followers with idyllic photos from my travels — probably true for some, not all. Anyway, I’m sensitive to the probability.

I find U.S. politics extremely unsettling right now. Clearly, other world leaders are exploiting the uncertainty of our elections; killing innocent people in order to expand their own countries and gain more power. I realize voting (yes expats can vote) and waiting for a favorable outcome of our elections, is all I can do.