What A Wonderful Neighbor
A cautionary tale
“Wake up kids and get ready. We’re going to visit your grandpa Lasky today.”
Billy and Suzie bolted awake and excitedly prepared themselves for the momentous occasion. They adored Lasky but it had been months since they last visited.
Uma and Sam packed up the SUV and loaded the kids into the back seat. “Buckle up”, orders Uma as the car backs down the driveway.
After over an hour’s drive and several, “Are we there yet” requests, the family arrived in Lasky’s neighborhood.
But there was a small problem. The street that Lasky lives on was blocked off at both ends. “Water problem”, they are told by a city worker. What to do? The kids are visibly upset.
Sam gets a bright idea. “I know”, he says. “Let’s go over to Lasky’s back door neighbor, Candie, and see if she’ll let us go through her back yard. Uma agrees this is a wonderful idea, so off they go to Candie’s house.
The family SUV pulls into the driveway and luckily, there is Candie herself, pruning a bush in her front yard. Uma rolls down her window to wave at Candie. The greeting is returned with a friendly smile from Candie.
Sam jumps out of the driver seat and approaches the older woman. “Hi there Candie. You’re looking well.”
“Well, thank you Sam”, she replies. “I do my best to take care of myself. I see neighbors so infrequently these days.”
Nodding in acknowledgment, Sam moves on to the business at hand. “Candie, it looks like Uma’s dad’s street has been closed off, and we had just driven all this way for a visit.”
“Oh, yes”, Candie responds. “That unfortunate business about the water.”
“The kids will be devastated if they don’t get to see Lasky. Would you mind if we cut through your backyard?”
“I guess that would be okay” Candie answered without hesitation. “But you’ll have to go through the house. The sides are both soaked.“
Sam thanked Candie for her hospitality and shouted back to the car, “Get the kids Uma. We’re going to see Lasky.”
Several Hours Pass…
Candie had been so engrossed in her gardening, she hardly noticed the gathering storm clouds. “Oh dear”, she sighed as she picked up her gardening tools and headed for the porch. She opened the front door and entered her house.
Something seemed terribly wrong. Steeling her courage, Candie crept slowly toward the kitchen arch where she stumbled upon a horrifying sight. The kitchen floor was flooded with spilled liquid and opened food wrappers strewn all over the counter. A pair of children’s flip flops lay clumsily on the floor beneath the table. Muddy footprints stained the tile by the sliding back door.
An eerie silence swept over the house. Candie gingerly picked up the phone receiver and dialed a number. A raspy male voice answered the line. “Lasky”, asked Candie. “Is everything alright?”
“Well, of course, dear. Why do you ask Candice?”, inquired Lasky.
“Have your grandchildren had a nice visit with you?’
“Grandchildren?”, Lasky replied quizzically. “I haven’t seen my daughter and her kids in months.”
Candie became deeply concerned, but she didn’t want to alarm her neighbor. She politely bid goodbye and hung up the phone. Just then, she heard a noise coming from the basement. It sounded like a muffled thump. Candie moved quietly to the front hall closet and collected her deceased husband’s old rifle.
Ever so quietly, Candie opened the basement door and tip-toed down the steps. She reached the landing and rounded the corner into the large carpeted room. To her astonishment, Candie found Uma, Sam, and their two children lying on the wraparound sofa.
Empty soda cans and bags of half-eaten chips sat on the messed up coffee table. The television was on, and a superhero movie was being displayed on the giant screen.
“What on earth!?”, bellowed Candie.
Uma and Sam bolted up and turned to face Candie. Swallowing hard first, Sam started sheepishly to explain the situation. “Er, high there Candie. Um, your yard was pretty wet, so we decided to wait here while it dried out.” He felt the old woman’s cold stare, but he continued, “The kids were getting restless, so uh…we thought we’d put on a movie to keep them occupied.” The next few seconds were coldly silent. “I hope you don’t mind”, added Sam.
A smile slowly came over the old woman’s face, still holding her husband’s shotgun.
“Mind?”, she said calmly, “Of course I don’t mind. In fact, I have a wonderful idea.” Candie paused for effect. “Have Billy and Suzie ever heard the story of Hansel and Gretel?”
Perplexed, Uma looked at the woman and said, “No, I don’t think they have.”
“That’s good”, said Candice as her smile became a wide-eyed grin.
The moral of this story is…
The Border is Closed. Respect your neighbors. Stay Home!
Thanks for taking the time. It’s always appreciated.