Locked Out

Lily barked. I went to the door. It was the girl next door locked out of her apartment. "Do you have a chair so I can climb up?" she asked pointing to the fire escape. "I have a kitchen stool, that will be taller. Do you think the window will be open?" I asked. "Yes," she said. "Let me come help you so you don't hurt yourself," I said. She climbed up and I held the base steady as she grabbed the rung of the fire escape ladder. We were both puzzled about how to get her further up. I suggested she use her legs to climb the wall but her boots slipped off the brick. Then I held my hands up high for her to step on with one foot and then the other, and it worked as leverage. She climbed up to the top of the fire escape but the window was locked. "Oh well, nice try," I said. I guided her feet back down onto the stool. "You can come inside and call your mom, my phone is an old fashioned plug-in-the-wall kind." I showed it to her. She stared at it and tried to make it work. I smiled. "It's strange isn't it, compared to a flat screen," I said. I dialed the number and handed the receiver to her. "Hi Mom, I'm locked out, I lost my key, I'm at Emily's, I'll go to the library," she explained. When she hung up I could see that her big eyes were teary. "It's emotional isn't it?" I said. She nodded. "It's frustrating. It happens to all of us, Bill got locked out once at night and he slept inside the foyer until I rescued him. Would you like a snack, an apple?" I offered. "No thanks," she said. "Would you like me and Lily to walk you over to the library?" "No, I'm fine," she said. I was glad that I was home. I hope that made it slightly less traumatic. She's all grown up now.