The Neighbor, Part One: The History
Friends of ours were buying the house next door. It was going to be fantastic being right next door, so convenient for cocktails and pizza nights. Came the dot com bust and those friends not only didn't buy the house but left town. (They came back, but not next door).
One evening we were having a small dinner party when we noticed a couple women, a man and a teenage girl walking around the side of the house next door. The Spouse leaned out the open dining room door and said, in his best Buck Hogswaller voice, "Y'all gonna be our new neighbors?" "Not likely" (or "Doubtful" or "Not even"...I forget exactly) shot back the more attractive of the women.
Turns out, however, that it was likely and she did buy the house. More or less freshly divorced, with one child in college and the other about to be, The Neighbor came to our little enclave. She spent a few months getting the house in order before moving in. We introduced ourselves over the fence one day, chatting briefly. The next day, Sunday, we spied in the choir someone who looked suspiciously like this new neighbor. She was working at the house that afternoon so we hailed her and asked. Not only did she go to our church and sing in our choir but she had been for several years.
One evening we invited her to come over for a glass of wine when she finished painting or scraping or installing and ensued a long, long evening of telling our stories. The roots of friendship grow particularly firm when watered by red wine. She finally moved in and there have been, over the years now, many other such evenings. And dinners. And brunches and cocktails and slices of pie. There have been multiple handings over the fence of spices, lettuce, milk or eggs. We don't knock when we walk into each other's homes. I go over to her house for an after-work glass of something just about every evening. We joke that our back-and-forth is like living in a dorm.
It is always very convenient to have neighbors from whom one can borrow things or to whom one can lend things. It is very pleasant to know the people most immediately around you, what with it promoting community and all that. But to find in a next-door-neighbor a good and faithful friend? That is a gift of super-fantastic proportions. The Neighbor has become one of my best friends and a part of our family. We love her very much.
One evening we were having a small dinner party when we noticed a couple women, a man and a teenage girl walking around the side of the house next door. The Spouse leaned out the open dining room door and said, in his best Buck Hogswaller voice, "Y'all gonna be our new neighbors?" "Not likely" (or "Doubtful" or "Not even"...I forget exactly) shot back the more attractive of the women.
Turns out, however, that it was likely and she did buy the house. More or less freshly divorced, with one child in college and the other about to be, The Neighbor came to our little enclave. She spent a few months getting the house in order before moving in. We introduced ourselves over the fence one day, chatting briefly. The next day, Sunday, we spied in the choir someone who looked suspiciously like this new neighbor. She was working at the house that afternoon so we hailed her and asked. Not only did she go to our church and sing in our choir but she had been for several years.
One evening we invited her to come over for a glass of wine when she finished painting or scraping or installing and ensued a long, long evening of telling our stories. The roots of friendship grow particularly firm when watered by red wine. She finally moved in and there have been, over the years now, many other such evenings. And dinners. And brunches and cocktails and slices of pie. There have been multiple handings over the fence of spices, lettuce, milk or eggs. We don't knock when we walk into each other's homes. I go over to her house for an after-work glass of something just about every evening. We joke that our back-and-forth is like living in a dorm.
It is always very convenient to have neighbors from whom one can borrow things or to whom one can lend things. It is very pleasant to know the people most immediately around you, what with it promoting community and all that. But to find in a next-door-neighbor a good and faithful friend? That is a gift of super-fantastic proportions. The Neighbor has become one of my best friends and a part of our family. We love her very much.
cobbled together by Moi at 8:16 AM
6 Comments:
Someday, if we move to a house and out of the city high rise, we'll get to know our neighbors.
People in these high rises almost never introduce themselves to each other.
One time, there was this guy who lived down the hall who invited me over for grape leaves and wine on a Saturday afternoon, but I think he wanted a date.
"The roots of friendship grow particularly firm when watered by red wine." -- I. LOVE. THAT. SENTENCE. Beautiful writing.
There was a brief period when I lived downtown where I knew most of the people in my building and it kind of had that dormitory feel. By the end of my time there the only guy left was the cranky gay guy across from me and we seldom said more than hello.
I know what you mean. I have a wonderful neighbor, and living so far from home, great neighbors are great blessings!!
Aw schucks, nayb, that was a beautiful summary of our neighborly ways. How lucky for me to live next door to not only a brilliant writer but also a dear friend who is always there for me, boosting my spirits when I'm down, being goofy with me when required ("someone who can read...") challenging my intellect, and confirming my life each and every day.
Sigh...I'm verklempt....
Wonderful to have good friends and neighbors.
Iwanski, He probably saw the picture of you with the spatula up your nose.
JP, I heart you. Cranky gay guys. The. Worst.
Glenda: I'm excited!
Hina: The best of blessings.
Neigh: Shut up. (Notice ther are no e's in that sentence. Oooh, but there are in this one. Light up!)
Charlie & Grish: Too right. And "they" say no one knows their neighbors any more. Ha! The things I could tell you.... (or she could...)
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