Deep in thought, Alan started applying the breaks to his corolla before coming to a stop at the light just blocks from his home of the past year.
He was new to this Midwestern town, leaving his home on the west coast for a better job as the CFO of a new start-up business, taking nothing but his beat-up sedan and his wife of 3 years. He firmly believed this was the next step in his ambitious career plan. He had been stressed with all of the new changes but more so by the self-placed pressure he placed on himself which had always helped him succeed in the past. He was doing well at his job, but allowing himself to relax wasn't an option. He was a driven man and not achieving his goals was unfathomable.
"you need to chill out, get more balance in your life, " he could hear Jenny consoling in his head as she had so many times. She was always so devoted and supportive, but he was afraid his stress was putting some strain on their marriage. They had talked about maybe starting a family after they got settled in their new life. But at this moment it all just seemed like added burden...'a family..hell, what about just having sex again?'. His thoughts drifted to his wife's piercing blue eyes atop her full luscious lips, the swell of her busty chest as her fingers unfastened each shirt button lower and lower...
The horns behind him snapped him back to reality as he realized the light had been green.
He turned onto his street, smiling has he saw the neighborhood boys tossing the pigskin. He continued past, admiring the wholesome simple feel of the block, filled with simple but friendly and hard-working citizens. Turning into his driveway, he was surprised to find his garage door open. He pulled is car in next to their minivan but noticed an empty space that his new riding lawnmower normally occupied.
Frustrated, Alan walked out onto the street and immediately turned his gaze toward the old Fenke house. He walked towards the ashen gray home that stood out like a stain on the otherwise model neighborhood. Similarly the home's sole occupant, Raymond Fenke didn't seem to belong. He lived there alone after the passing of his mother some years ago and both he and the house had seemed to deteriorate. Ray was in his mid-forties but always struck Alan as child-like, maybe even developmentally delayed. Unemployed, Ray survived on his inheritance. In truth, Alan pitied Ray; it must be so lonely to be alone with no job, no family.
As he approached he could hear a sputtering engine he feared was his mower. He walked through the homes side-fence into the back yard where the 42 year old Ray Fenke sat atop the mower trying in vein to start the engine while his pants where sliding down his waist.
"Ray, what the hell are you doing? I have told you not to go by my home to borrow things without asking me!", Alan confronted, getting angrier by the second while staring into the vacant look of the balding fat man.
"c'mon Al, you wasn't home yet and I needed it. Jus' cool yer horses there hoss." He was so non-chalant, no concern that he broke into another man's garage and took, then broke his mower.
Again, Alan thought of his wife and cooled off. With just a warning glare, he walked over and started steering his mower out of the yard. Turning back he chastised Ray in parting, "Just stay away from my home."
Once home, Alan was relieved to find that Ray had simply run the mower out of fuel. But he was still upset, tired from work and annoyed with his dolt of a neighbor. Unfortunately again he couldn't help but stay upset as he greeted his loving wife.
He confronted Jenny about the mower and why she hadn't heard Ray force open their garage and drive the mower out. Alan started to feel bad after she explained that she had probably been in the shower during that time, cleaning off after doing some yard work.
In truth, Jenny was aware of every second of it but she was too afraid to go down and confront him. He repulsed her in every way...from his few strands of graying hair combed across his balding head, to the large gut that bulged out under his stained tank top, to his fetid rotting scent. Worst of all was his adolescent shit-eating grin plastered to his face each time he saw her and the way he would stare at her chest as if he could see her naked.
She was disgusted by Ray and chose to deal with her husband's foul mood rather than come face to face with the creature.
Ray stood in his lawn still seething with anger and hurt feelings. He hated Alan the way he hated most people -- he hated the way others looked down at him, like he was stupid.
"I'll borrow anything I want!" he told himself, wiping hateful tears away.
He told himself he would show Alan who was stupid.
After another day at work, Alan Chambers made the drive back home with fatigue. He parked his car again and stared in disbelief at the space ..."did that dolt really take it again?!"
He stomped over to the decrepit house with nothing short of fire in his veins. This time the side door was locked...Alan could hear his mower running in the yard and fueled by hatrid he scaled the door. As he turned the corner his anger turned to disbelief...
Like a king atop his throne, Ray Fenke sat riding the mower...naked. But Ray's hands weren't on the steering wheel. To alan's horror, there sat Jenny on the fat man's lap, topless, wearing nothing but her Victoria's secret thong. The beautiful blonde wife steered the mower as Fenke fondled her large round breasts, rolling her nipples in between his fingers as tears streamed from he young wife's eyes. His other oversized hand moving roughly between inside her thong between her tan toned legs.
The rest of the events were a blur to Alan. He recalls running towards them and next thing he remembers is the vision of Ray Fenke on the ground with a bloody face as he grabs his wife and pulls her away from the scene.
Once home, Jenny tearfully recants the events of the day -- of Ray Fenke knocking on the door and wrestling her to the floor before tying her up and dragging her into his car. She revealed the rest of the gruesome details of how he got her out of her clothes and onto the mower with him, but Alan just stared vacantly hearing only little.
-----------------------------------------------
At the local police station, Alan Chambers felt the nightmare continue.
"No case?? How is that possible?!", he felt like he was going insane. "Breaking and entering, theft...rape of my wife!!"
Jonathan Myers, chief of police tried to settle him down. "Look Mr. Chambers, you have been a model citizen for the short time you've been here. But there's no evidence to prove that Raymond Fenke committed any of the crimes that you have spoken of. We cannot prove rape without evidence of physical struggle or even semen analysis.
"And further, he has denied taking your mower and there are no witnesses to back up your story. Mr. Fenke is an odd one, but he has no criminal record, not even an unpaid parking ticket.
Look, I hate to be the one to say this..." the chief lowered his voice, " but there was no sign of breaking and entering...no broken windows, no damage to your garage door... have you considered that maybe your wife has been having a consensual affair?"
"Fuck this, Jon...and frankly fuck you for saying such a thing." Alan stormed out realizing he would receive no help from the law.
Alan changed all of the locks at his home and placed a new lock on his lawnmower. He asked Jenny if she still felt safe at home or if she wanted to move. Despite her trepidation, she felt it too selfish to ask for such a thing while Alan was so busy with work.
