I froze in the darkness as I heard their raucous laughter drifting up from their private party beyond the balcony.  I crept down the steps towards the garden, my heart pounding and perspiration gathering on my brow. Tiptoeing past the garbage cans, I stopped between the trees. There they were, on a blanket under the stars. They threw caution to wind and flaunted their love openly and loudly, for they thought they were alone. And yet there I stood, as judge and jury to their damning act.

Tears welled and threatened to drown my eyes, so that I should not see the devastating truth played out before me. I leaned my head against the comforting trunk of a tree and tried to block the sound of his illicit carnal pleasure. Turning finally, so that I would not see the silhouette of his familiar torso as it covered her eagerly welcoming embrace, I slipped away.

Inside the house, I poured myself a whiskey. A drink I normally avoided, but now I found comfort as its warmth seared through my body and calmed me.

I went upstairs and packed every item of clothing we possessed and quietly put it into my car. I then crept back down into the garden and waited for a minute. They were too engrossed in each other to notice me. I carefully gathered all of the clothes strewn across the grass, both his and hers. These too, went into my car. I returned to the house, locked the veranda door and windows, set the alarm and, pausing for a moment to retrieve his keys and his wallet from the hall table, I pulled the front door quietly closed as I left.

........................................

The water level rose to overflowing and a whiskey bottle, which had been perched precariously on the edge of the draining board, wavered as the growing pool nudged it, and finally fell. The motion sensor kicked into action and activated the silent alarm.

I watched from my car across the street. It would be a matter of minutes until the police arrived, then the entire neighbourhood would come to see what was going on, as would the local press. After all, politicians are always great news fodder.

Note: A silent alarm is one that alerts the police but not the intruder.