The Walker

It was a Friday night, and we had finished a late and heavy weekend dinner. My husband had plonked himself down in front of the TV, refusing to budge even an inch. The night outside was cool and tempting, and I decided to step out alone for a walk.

The compound around my apartment complex is around half a kilometre in circumference and has trees lining it all along, creating a breezy and pleasant track for walkers and joggers. It seemed like I was the only one out- hardly anyone was visible, apart from the security men at the entrance gate. I took a right towards the basketball hoop set up for the resident's kids, and moved on to the rear pathway of the compound.

I enjoyed my solitary stroll, breathing in the scented air from the flowering trees, till I heard footsteps behind. Great, another crazy one out at this time. I could see the shadow of the walker behind me, the sound of the footsteps almost in synch with mine. I expected him to overtake me sooner or later, and my thoughts drifted. When I reached the front of the compound again, I realized that my fellow walker was not behind me anymore. I gave it no more thought, thinking that he might have taken one of the small side doors into the building. Greeting the security men as I passed, I decided to walk another round.

We had just got married and moved into our rented flat, and my mind was constantly occupied by thoughts of the next piece of furniture or fabric to buy for our new home. As I approached the rear walkway again, I was thinking of visiting the nearest store for bed-sheets and foot-.....those footsteps! I looked down at the ground, and the shadow was there again! What had been a pleasant realization of having company in my first round now turned into something different- when did he come back? I walked on, an unknown feeling of dread in me not letting me look back, and the shadow never overtaking me. I looked to the right, at the balconies and windows of the flats, to see if there was anyone in sight. There was no one, and most of the lights were off. I looked to the left, at the high wall of the compound and the buildings behind it. Not a soul in sight. I looked down at the shadow again, and imagined it catching up with me, closer and closer by the minute...was that the wind, or it's breath on my shoulder?!

I had broken out into a cold sweat now and was almost at a half jog. I tried to imagine who it might be behind me. No, with the shadow looming behind, never catching up, but always there- the question was not who, but what?! Someone who had died here? A dead cousin? A long gone friend? Why was it coming behind me? Did it want to tell me something? Or did it…no, no, not that! Images flashed in my mind- images of a horrible death, of my mangled body being discovered in the morning, hanging from a tree, or maybe lying on the roof of one of the parked cars. The shrieks of the discoverer, my husband in tears, calling my parents, not knowing what to tell them. I blamed myself for coming out so late in the night, blamed my luck, blamed us for moving into this flat. My bladder was bursting with my fear now, and I had tears in my eyes. Why God, why me?! I had done no wrong to anyone!

As I approached the end of the pathway, something inside me snapped. I had to turn around and face it! I had to know! I abruptly turned, a whirlwind of possible images flooding my mind, till my eyes focused. As if in slow motion, I saw the thing behind me smile and greet me, and then turn away. Starting his beat back to the other end of the path, to his obscure bench hidden behind the bushes, was the watchman for the rear compound.