"A Tap at My Door" by Rebecca S. Holder

 – Help me?

A single act of kindness can open a door to a new world for everyone involved.

Rebecca S. Holder lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where she is a member of the Winston-Salem Writers. Early in her career, she wrote for corporate magazines, newspapers, and advertising agencies, but now writes for her own enjoyment. Currently she is writing a short story collection centered on the fictional town of Braidy Creek.

Editor’s Note: “Anissa” is a pseudonym used to protect privacy.

Rebecca S. Holder

Author’s Talk

Many, many years ago someone asked me where I grew up. Without hesitation, I replied, “In a U-Haul™ truck.” It’s not an exaggeration. By the time I was ten, my family had moved nine times and I was entering my seventh school. I suppose it was the experience of being the perpetual new kid and always feeling lost that made me so open to the tap at my door. It’s also what compelled me to write the story. When you’re lost, alone and scared, the smallest action can change everything. People need to know that. 

My vagabond beginnings are also the reason I’m a writer. I was never around any place long enough to fit in, so I became a keen observer and listener to people. Being an outsider, I was like the family dog—people forgot I was there, and they forgot that I could understand and remember what was going on around me. If folks had ever imagined I would one day give voice to what I saw and heard perhaps they would have exercised more discretion. Thankfully for me, the thought never occurred to them. 

In my work life, I wrote everything from ad copy to speeches to newspaper articles to training manuals—dull as dishwater and in someone else’s voice. Now I’m writing in my own voice, and I’ve never had so much fun. Part of that fun is working on a collection of short stories based on the fictional town of Braidy Creek and the characters who live there. Who knows? One day it might get published. In the meantime, I’ve won a few writing contests, found some opportunities to see my work in print, attended writing workshops, and been the beneficiary of tremendous support, encouragement, and learning from Winston-Salem Writers and the Westenders critique group. My thanks and gratitude to one and all as I keep moving on. — Rebecca S. Holder