New Neighbor

Yesterday I woke at 4:20 AM after a good night of sleep. As I let Romeo into the tiny yard for a quick pee, I noticed people at the 4 farthest garages. So I stood and watched at my back door. One of the guys drove to where I was standing and buzzed down his passenger window. "Why are you staring at my garages? I don't want you to steal my stuff."

"I live here, I've lived here 28 years. I'm just paying attention."

"I called my landlord and said there's a lady staring at my garages. He said 'Don't worry she lives here and watches out for trouble.' I called him three times." I realized he was scared of me. "I've had my stuff stolen at other places. I have my kids stuff. It's dark back here. I am going to put up lights above the garages."

 

I stepped outside my gate and approached his car. "Yes, it is dark back here. That would be great."

 

"I have some extra ones. I will put them up over all the other garages. Even if I buy a house and move out of the garages the lights will stay."

 

"Last night my husband and I were on the porch looking at the full moon," I said. "We saw a red truck with a ladder in it parked at your garages. The driver was inside the truck, waiting."

"Oh, that was my guy, to install the lights. He was calling me but I had fallen asleep."

I reached into his passenger car window to introduce myself. We shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Jose, I'm Emily."

"I wish the nations of the world could do this," I added.

"You'll see us again later this morning putting up the lights."

"Thank you, Jose."