“You do?” Is all Rosy could stammer. She couldn’t remember when she had ever been so shocked. That house has been empty for years and it was filthy dirty inside and out.
“That house is in pretty rundown.” “Don’t worry about that it will be nice and clean for tonight. But I don’t understand where everybody is? You are the only person that has answered the door?”
She looked lost and confused. “Oh everybody in this neighborhood works. You just caught me on my day off,” she laughed. If you want to reach the others you’ll have to leave a note.
Let’s write them now and you can stick them in their doors. We’ll tell them what you told me. I think everybody will come tonight out of curiosity if for no other reason. “This is a very typical street.
Everybody keeps to themselves, they all lead busy lives. Nobody really knows anybody except to wave at when they ride by.” Between the 2 women they quickly wrote up enough invitations and Sandra thanked her, took the invitations and proceeded on delivering them to each house.
Party: At 8:00 p.m. that night Sandra was overwhelmed by the number of her new neighbors which turned out for her party. They came out of curiosity. They all stood in a group staring at this young woman with her 3 children gathered around her.
There were 2 boys around 5 and 6 and a little girls around 3. The children were all blue eyes with light blonde hair like their mom. They were all standing cause there wasn’t anyplace for them to sit. There was not a stick of furniture in the house and the kitchen was bare.
There wasn’t any food and even if there was food there wasn’t a refrigerator to store food in or a stove to cook it on. Suddenly there was movement from the floor. Ants hundreds of them were on the move.
Somebody threw a lit match onto the floor and burned them up. The man quickly stamped on the flames and put out the fire before it could burn down the house. There wasn’t any carpeting or tile on the floor it was so dirty it was hard to tell what they were standing on.
Between the ant excitement and the fire starting everyone started talking at once. “What in the name of God is going on here, asked a young man standing by the door?” Sandra burst into tears and sunk down onto the filthy floor. Don’t cry mommy the oldest boy said to his mom starting to cry himself. Soon all three children were crying.
“I repeat,” boomed the voice near the door. “What is going on here?”
The Lie:
“I need your help Sandra managed to blurt out between sobs. My kids and I have been living in our car for about a year. Everyday we got busted by this same cop. He would yell at me and send me to a shelter to get food for us to eat and sometimes we slept there.
Today this same cop his name is Jim something said he knows a place where we could stay with very cheap rent. He said he was tired of watching us freeze and starve in my car. He brought us here this morning and left.” She raised her arms; I don’t know what to do now? Jim said I would figure it out.
So I thought if I told all of my new neighbors that there was a party you could help me,” she sobbed holding her 3 year old daughter. By now it was dark outside and inside.
“Do you have any electricity asked Rosie?” “Sandra,” said no. Several of her neighbors ran to their homes and brought back candles and flashlights. Now at least they could see each other.
Help On The Way:
“Well said Rosie. Let us be practical. This young woman needs help. We are her neighbors and we have to help her. I know we all lead busy lives but that is not an excuse for us not getting to know each other over the years.”
She took a deep breath. “I think we should all introduce ourselves and say which house you live in. I think by your faces everybody from the neighborhood is here. If there is anybody missing lets go knock on their door.”
Everybody stepped forward and gave their names and addresses. Once that was over Rosie took charge again. All the neighbors were present. “I have leftovers at my house. Does anybody have any food at their house they can spare for Sandra and her kids?
By the way what are your kid’s names and ages?” “The oldest is Kevin, six years old,” she pointed. My middle son is Kurt, age five and the youngest sitting here like a princess on my lap is Karen she is three.” Several of the people had left Sandra’s house and returned with leftovers they had taken the time to reheat the food before heading back.
They had brought dishes, silverware and glasses. After Sandra and her kids had eaten the work started. Many of the people had returned to their homes for various items. Some had brought brooms, mops and cleaning products. One young man with the help of another of his new friends hauled in a queen size bed with sheets and blankets.
They set it up in the master bedroom. “Oh thank you,” sobbed Sandra, we’ll all have a place to sleep tonight.” “Make room,” shouted another voice at the door a couch was coming in through the doorway. “Oh this is too much,” sobbed Sandra.
“I just bought a new couch and the Salvation Army was going to pick this up tomorrow. I would much rather you have it. It still has plenty of use.” Walter a chubby middle aged, bald man explained. Rosy said in the morning she would take Sandra and the kids to get a food card and whatever assistance the state would contribute. The electricity needed to be turned back on.
They decided to meet back at Sandra’s in three days to see how things were progressing. The neighbors left to let the family get some rest. The next morning after standing in lines and waiting forever Sandra had a food card. The next stop was the grocery store.
They came back to Sandra’s house loaded down with groceries. Oh I forgot I don’t have a stove and refrigerator. What am I going to do with this food? She sobbed placing her hands over her eyes.
Neighbors Working Together:
“Open your eyes,” Rosie said looking at Sandra’s front yard. On the lawn in front of the door sat an older refrigerator and a stove with a note taped on it. When you get home call me and I’ll install them for you. Not only were their appliance on the lawn but a complete set of plastic dishes service of six.
There was also a brand new box of pots and pans and miscellaneous items that Sandra really needed. Two lamps sat on living room tables plus a wooden kitchen table with four chairs. Sandra couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Oh you have all been so wonderful how am I ever going to repay you?” “Don’t worry about that now Sandra you have to think of your kids. Let’s call that phone number.” Rosie whipped out her cell phone. The young man who had asked what is going on last night appeared. In a few minutes the refrigerator was plugged in and the stove was working.
“I don’t understand? I have gas and electricity today? How did that happen?” Sandra asked. “Don’t worry about it, Roger said. He was a kind man the same height as Sandra with black hair and dark eyes. Roger wasn’t bad looking. “Thank you,” is all she could manage before the tears streamed down her face.
The night the neighbors were going to return Sandra once again left notes on each door reminding them about their appointment at her house that night and not to eat. Sandra spent the afternoon cooking and baking. It was the only way she could think of to thank her wonderful neighbors.
When her neighbors walked into her home this time it was clean and orderly. There were seats for people to sit on and some had brought their own folding chairs. “What smells so good,” asked Roger. “I made a pot of stew. I hope you like it. I also cut up a bunch of vegetables and made a dip.” I don’t like for my kids to have too much junk food, she added shyly.
Rosie provided paper plates and plastic utensils and they all wolfed down the stew and vegetables. “Is there any desert asked a little blond haired five year old girl sitting on the floor?” “Sure there is laughed Sandra.” She passed around a plate full of chocolate chip cookies and a plate of peanut butter cookies. “Yum, yum, you can cook for me anytime,” said Roger licking his lips.
He had been divorced for two years and never dated. He stayed home and watched TV. He was very interested in Sandra. “I want to thank everybody for all their help?” She didn’t mean to cry but the tears flowed. “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I don’t know what I am going to do now? I need to get a job but I don’t know what I can do? I don’t know how to use a computer?”
“Wait Sandra, I have been thinking about this. My two kids Christy and Carol are too young to go to school. I work everyday and I take them way out of my way to a woman who baby sits them. It would be a luxury for me to have a sitter right here in my own neighborhood.
I would pay you the same amount as I pay her. That way you could stay home with your daughter. It will give you time to maybe take a course in computers or whatever you want to do.”
“But what about the owner of this house? He will want rent, I don’t even know how much it is?” Sandra asked her neighbors. “I wouldn’t worry about that,” answered Roger. Jim the cop owns this house. He grew up in this house but when his parents died about ten years ago, he moved out and let it go to ruin.”
“Oh,” was Sandra’s response. “Well in that case thank you Virginia, I would love to baby-sit your girls, she said with a big smile.
“I would like to thank you, Sandra,” said Rosie. “Why I didn’t do anything,” said an astonished Sandra. “You most certainly did. You brought this neighborhood together. Why we all lived on this block for years” she moved her arms to include the entire group. “We didn’t know each other but you were right on when you said,
if you can’t get help from your neighbors who can you get help from? Sometimes family is too far away or whatever. We all pulled together and in a crisis and in helping you we all helped ourselves.” “Here, here,” called Roger clapping. The End Copyright 2006 Linda E. Meckler
