Don’t Throw Rocks

One morning after breakfast, Señor JHawker stepped onto our second floor balcony at Hacienda Del Mar with a cup of coffee and I followed a few minutes later. I quickly noticed him talking to a woman on the ground, Señora Flinger, who was looking up at him and holding a small rock in her hand. Now Señor JHawker is always a rather friendly gentleman, so I was not surprised to see him talking to a stranger. However, upon further analysis, I realized he was acting a bit reserved and even somewhat cold to this individual. What bothered me even more was the small rock in Señora Flinger’s hand and the significance that it might have on the events that were unfolding. As I listened further to the conversation, Señora Flinger began rambling about her party of 21 family members, which units they might be occupying, and her attempts to wake them all up. At that point, she said, “so if you are in that one, then maybe they are in the next one” and she turned to stare at the sliding door to the master bedroom of our condo unit, which from her vantage point was separated by a large column. Suddenly, Señor JHawker pushes back his chair and walks a few feet onto the other side of the balcony, in front of the master bedroom in sort of a defensive posture. Surprised, Señora Flinger says “Oh, so that is part of yours too”. Señor JHawker replied in a pleased tone that it was and then he seemed relieved that she appeared to meander away from our portion of the building.

Only when she had retreated sufficiently did Señor JHawker return to his seat and explain the history of the rock. It seems that when Señor JHawker walked onto the balcony, he was confronted by Señora Flinger, with rock in hand and prepared to fling said rock into the forehead of Señor JHawker. Prior to that point, Señora Flinger believed that our unit was inhabited by some of the 21 other Flingers and she was moments away from hurling the rock against the glass door to wake them up. Understandably, Señor JHawker became acutely defensive of our little abode and his own forehead and stood ready to defend them both to the bitter end. It was at this point that I walked in and became witness to the second defensive maneuver by Señor JHawker.

Although we watched Señora Flinger for some time, we never actually saw her fling the infamous stone. Perhaps the confrontation with Señor JHawker convinced her to alter her method of wake up calls for the 21 Flingers. However, her behavior may have already infiltrated the younger generations of Flingers, which we happened to see later at the pool, flinging various objects at various other objects and people. As for me, I am proud to know that Señor JHawker successfully held off the harrowing near attack.