Stopwatch

The neighbor prattled on, uninvited. Carla looked down and set her stopwatch for 28 seconds (like the Equalizer); she continued to clean her tools (tightening and sharpening, oiling and wiping down) as the time ticked by. At Second 20, Carla reached over and pressed the button to close the garage door. For the remaining moments, the neighbor talked and talked and talked while bending at the waist (trying to see in). She paid no attention to the knocking and peering in that followed; it was predictable. Carla had a firm boundary against cussing and kicking, however, and a thud got her attention. She looked down at the stopwatch again, wondering if she had the time and energy for a head butt combo or whether it was better to just take out the ankle that had brought them across the street in the first place. Carla paused after standing up, taking a deep breath and asking herself what kind of message she wanted to send.