I don’t like either family that lives on each side of our house – however if they needed anything, I’d be there for them, but I am not about to go bring them pies or anything…there is no reason to make friends with everyone on their block…they wouldn’t accept my views on a lot of things anyway…making the already unnecessary, for me, small talk full of tension…nobody really cares how you’re doing, nothing beyond superficiality…and I don’t need that…
I will tell you this, though…a couple of houses away from ours there lived this old man, George, who was always super sweet to my child, who couldn’t even answer him in English and he’d give him $5 for ice cream every now and then no matter how much I refused…he timed times I went to get my son from pre-school so he can say hello, he talked to my first husband about beer and jugs, he talked to my second and current about baseball and building things…a couple of months ago he came to our door asking for me and my son…he said that his landlord, without his consent or knowledge, put his house up for sale and he had to move and quickly…he said he will miss us and our family and gave a Curious George book and stuffed toy to Alexey, a card for me and Alex and left with tears in his eyes…I miss him and every time I pass the house, his house, and am glad no one has bought it yet..