‘Okay, Prudence, we need to act smart,’ I muttered to myself. I looked out the window at Emiri’s house and an idea started to form in my head. It was risky, but I didn’t care anymore. If she decided to play foul, I could play dirty too.
Twenty minutes later I was at the local junkyard, pulling on the old gloves I kept in the car. I was ashamed of what I was about to do, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
I loaded as many bags of rubbish into the boot as I could, the smell was such that I nearly burst out. But I gritted my teeth and carried on.
On the way back, I replayed our conversation in my head, her dismissive tone, her refusal to acknowledge what she’d promised. The more I thought about it, the more justified my anger seemed.
She didn’t even bother to respect my labour. Well, she’d soon realise how messy it could be.
When I pulled up to Emiri’s house, the street was quiet. No one was around, so I quickly opened the boot and started dragging bags of rubbish to her door. Heart pounding in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins, I worked fast.
Then I realised one thing: Emiri had forgotten to pick up her house keys. She’d been in such a hurry she hadn’t remembered them.
I froze for a moment. But then I thought of her cold phrase about how we’d never agreed. I wasn’t going to let her get away with that.
I opened the door and stepped inside. The house was still as clean as I’d left it, but that was about to change. I ripped open the bags, dumping everything on her floors, countertops, and even the bed. Rotten food, old newspapers, dirty nappies all mixed together in a disgusting pile.
‘This is what you deserve, Emiri,’ I muttered to myself as I emptied the last bag. ‘You wanted to play the game, so here the game begins.’
I closed the door behind me, remembering to lock it, and slid the key under her mat. As I walked to the car, I felt a strange combination of satisfaction and guilt. But I pushed it away. Emiri had brought it on herself.
That night, just as I was putting Connie to bed, I heard a furious knock on the door. I already knew who it was.
“Prudence! What the hell have you done to my house!” – Emiri shouted, her face red with anger.
I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorjamb, remaining calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Emiri. How could I have gotten into your house? We didn’t have a deal, remember? So I never had your keys.”
She stared at me, silent for a few moments, and then her face contorted with rage. “You… you’re lying! I’m calling the police! You’re going to answer for this!”
I shrugged, not taking my eyes off her. “Call the police. But how are you going to explain how I got into the house? You can’t, because according to you, I didn’t have a key.”
Emiri opened her mouth to say something, but there were no words. She looked like she was about to explode, but could only turn around and walk away, muttering something to herself.
I stared after her, my heart still pounding, but not with rage. It was a sense of justice, of rebalancing.
I didn’t know if she’d call the police, but I didn’t care. Emiri had a lesson to remember: don’t mess with Prudence.
As I closed the door, I took a deep breath, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. I knew I’d crossed the line, but in that moment, it was the only way to make things right.
Sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, even if you have to roll up your sleeves to do it. And what about Emiri? I don’t think she’ll be asking me for help anymore.