The Bodyguard ("Breath" story #82)

BREATH
by Michael Kroetch

The bodyguard’s mother thinks there might be some kind of trouble. The police are outside and she didn’t call them. Naturally, at first she was convinced her son had perpetrated some awful new thing. With him it was easily possible. Anything was. She just hoped his name or face didn’t get into the newspapers, or on TV. You never knew who would see such a thing and what they might say. Maybe she could sweet talk the police into keeping things quiet?

But that was before—what worries her now is how the police have left their obscene red and blue lights twirling full blast in front of all her porch-monkey neighbors. It sets her teeth on edge. The display is indelicate and unattractive. Every other time the police have come to question her, they’ve shown better courtesy. None of this Las Vegas floor-show stuff. And never before have two cars arrived at once. What in the name of hygiene is going on? And why do they need to have their guns out? Do they think he’s here? She rotates her engagement ring nervously around her finger for a moment and considers dashing for the hat box and her tiny blue gun—just to keep things on an even footing. Then she thinks about throwing open the door and just telling them it’s a mistake. To relax and turn off their lights. He’s not here. But, as she thinking this, she looks down at the flickering stone on her finger. Then thinks maybe it isn’t a mistake at all. Which makes her wonder exactly how long it would take to get to that hat box. Or out the door and away, off between the diseased elms toward Canada, like that poor crippled woman did in the movie on TV.

Either way, she’s glad the house is tidy and that she had the foresight to do the kitchen floor this morning. A lot of guests will no doubt be traipsing across it tonight. She looks down at it and is reassured because, in the light flashing in from the squad cars, she can see how nicely it sparkles and even a dim reflection of her smiling face. This makes her wonder how her breath smells, which is why she wheels around and breathes softly on Jesus. With such things, she knows she can always count on him to be honest.