The Neighbours

What was amiss turned out to be quite surprisingly painful for Mary, more painful than she would have imagined. It seems like it was hardly 8 months or so ago that the neighbours next door had moved in. She was Philippine and her mate was American. They had moved up here with two small children from somewhere below the border. They had been very shy, quiet, and reserved. The two boys were about 3 and 7 years of age. As a result, they were outside a lot playing.
They moved into the second story of a house that was constantly being rented out. It was remarkable to Mary how often people moved in and out next door. If the individuals were there for two years that would be amazing. Most often Mary figured that the renters stayed approximately one year or so. This latest family came in an uneventful manner but Mary’s heart was torn for the need she saw there. The hush, hush of the whole situation made Mary curious. However, she could see they were not open to questions and she wasn’t a gossip so she never hung over the fence investigating. It was far easier to mind your own business. Life was like that; Mary thought to herself, most people want you to mind your own affairs as much as you wanted to! Because the people were always so transient in that house Mary didn’t let it disturb her about the new tenants.
Over the next months though Mary would talk to the kids when she saw them in the yard and retrieve their ball which often bounced into her enclosure. On occasion she would see and talk to the young mother who was thin and small but always smiling. Her husband or partner didn’t say much at all and seemed scared.
It was during these months that Mary would bring up loaves of fresh bread that were given to her from a friend who volunteered at the local food bank in Amherstburg. Mary figured with two children she could use the bread. The kids, it turned out, loved the bread toasted with peanut butter. Other than this Mary didn’t intrude into their life.
It was only at Christmas that Mary and Robin wrote a card and put some money in it to give them as a gift. It was the least she could do. Mary had been so surprised to receive the loveliest of thank you notes from the woman. It broke Mary’s heart because it had not been a big gift because they hadn’t much to give them. However, afterwards Mary wished she had given the family more.
Little had transpired during the cold dark months of January and February. They hibernated as did the rest of the world. In March Mary met the woman next door outside. She had news. She was moving. It was sooner than planned, the first weekend in April. Her husband was going to be working more hours in Windsor and the drive was too far.
At first the news had not bothered Mary. However, these last few days Mary found herself feeling so lonely and sad. It was quite peculiar because she hardly knew these individuals. What was it about them that set her into mourning? Mary didn’t know.
Their apartment was almost empty because Mary could see the curtains from their windows had been taken down and the car had been gone all night. They must have moved or had partially moved there stuff over. It didn’t seem a moving truck had showed up as yet so the big stuff was not gone, she was sure of that. However, the present morning’s noises had brought Mary curiously into the back yard. She looked up to the landing of their apartment to see the man carrying something downstairs.
“Hey Ken” said Mary. How’s the move going? Almost moved in?”
“Yes” replied Ken, “Wiila was going to talk to you. She will be over to give you the new phone number. Perhaps you can take our mail for us and phone us. “
“Sure ken” said Mary, a little sadly but encouraged that they thought enough of her to ask a favour.
Mary went off into the house and continued working on a painting she had started. She had Easter dinner in the oven and everything was cooking. Mary had only to wait. She had invited a couple of people. She hadn’t had anyone over for a quite a while besides Mitzi and decided to ask two of her friends. Mary was busy painting when she got that awful painful emptiness inside again just thinking of the family next door.
She felt she had failed God and had not given or done enough for the couple. She was working away thinking about this when Robin came in to see how the painting was coming along. Mary shared her unusual feelings of loneliness about this family she hardly knew. She told him she wished she had done more. Mary wondered if it would be alright to give them some money in a card. Robin was all for that.
Mary found a lovely card perfect for the occasion tucked away amongst some she had on hand. She brought it in to show Robin. He pulled out some money she had given him previously. He was saving it for his new guitar. Mary was touched that Robin would give from his gift to share with the neighbours. Mary had planned to dip into their line of credit. They were always dipping into it! So when Robin gave her his money it was joyous and a bit of relief that they would not indebt themselves anymore than they already were.
The real blessing came when Mary trotted up the back stairs to the couple’s tiny apartment. She knocked on the door and entered. There were clothes and belongings all over the place. It was sad to see the place in disarray but to be expected considering the situation. From out of the back room came Wiila and Ken. The two children were playing hide and seek with the mattress crawling under it and behind it.
Mary smiled at Wiila and was greeted with big tears from the woman. Mary grabbed her closely to her chest and hugged her a long time. She could feel the heaves of both their chests as they shared the same warmth of love that had begun to grow there between them.
Mary apologized that she never got to know Wiila any better. She wished she had. There wasn’t enough time, she shared. Wiila, for her part, had big tears rolling down her cheeks from eyes that revealed even more than her words could. More tears followed when Mary presented Wiila with the card.
“You have been the only one here that cared for us” and Wiila spread her arms to encompass the neighbourhood. “You felt like family”.
Mary could only hang her head with tears in her own eyes feeling so inadequate. She knew there was a whole lot more she could have done and yet compared to the neighbourhood she had been very giving.
Mary could say little more accept to make sure they had her phone number if they needed anything at all. They were waiting for some church members who had a minivan. Wiila shared she went to a Philippians church in Windsor. With warm words she described the kindness of the people at church.
Mary was so relieved on hearing this. Mary had been so concerned she had somehow missed an opportunity to spread the gospel. They were Christians. That was good news. Mary had been afraid she had not witnessed enough or shared. So this came as relief to Mary.
Mary left them then. She walked back down the stairs the way she came back to her painting. She watched as the minivan came and filled up with all their larger articles. Then she watched them drive away. Mary felt the longing and sadness in her heart still there.
She asked God to forgive her for not giving or being enough for these people. She made up her mind that this was okay and that God had allowed this grief and guilt to stir up in Mary to give more of herself. Yet at the same time Mary saw her own faithlessness she saw something else. She saw God’s faithfulness. She realized this was not about her littleness but God’s bigness. God had been there for Wiila through Mary’s small acts of charity. He had been faithful to Wiila at a time when life must have been fraught with loneliness and lack. Mary smiled a big smile to herself. What a wonderful thing had transpired. Mary’s eyes filled with warm, heartfelt, tears at God’s goodness. What a wonderful time to experience this – on this Easter weekend.
This was the sweet fragrance of Christ flowing through and around us, Mary thought. This was good. On top of that Mary delighted herself at the special gift God had given the couple. Oh, it wasn’t about what Mary had given but was about a little small creature. You see, Wiila had obtained a cat while at the apartment. It was a small calico they named Molly.
Molly had turned out to be a delight and made their living quarter’s a home. Recently, they found out she was pregnant! Surprisingly enough Wiila reported that Molly had gone into labour this morning in their new apartment and had already delivered one kitten! How wonderful was that! It seemed to both of them that the having kittens in the new home was symbolic of God’s presence and hope of good things. Mary and Wiila had laughed and cried some more. How good God was and how faithful and true – always - Mary thought to herself, always.

Mitzi

The familiar sounds of a train making its way in the distance, on the mainland, somewhere beyond Boblo Island caught Mary’s ear. It was mingled with the much closer sporadic and early morning song of a Robin greeting the day. Beside her in bed were the comforting sounds of her husband’s heavy breathing. Mary knew it was early because it was still dark so she lay there thinking about Mitzi and her visit.
It had come amidst that prayerful time with Robin. Mary smiled at the thought. It was wonderful to have a man who prayed with you, one that cared, and respected for you. He was so unlike her first husband. Mitzi had been a part of that chapter of her life and they had an interesting history together.
Mary had been dating Peter for 5 years by the time Mitzi came into the picture. Back then Mitzi was blond and beautiful, a slender albeit well formed girl of Estonian descent born and raised in Toronto. Mitzi was 17. Mary saw her for the first time sitting in one of the bench seats of the restaurant owned by Peter’s family. Peter worked there in the evenings and on weekends. Mary often hung out there. This one particular day Peter’s best friend Lynne was helping him out too. These two had a great time together yelling and swearing over stupid things that didn’t really matter to anyone but them. Mary enjoyed being a part of this fun. Peter had been her first real boyfriend and Lynne had joined them in often going to movies or to see wrestling downtown at Maple Leaf Gardens before it became an empty hockey tomb. Often times Peter’s brother, Alex, would join them for fun and frolic.
Lynne was a tall, slender man, a little older than Mary and Peter, approximately 27 years of age. Mary was 22 or so at the time and Peter was 24. Looking back now, on that evening, it all happened so fast as quickly as Mitzi’s recent visit which had come and gone. As Mary sat in the restaurant she had watched the turn of events unfold before her eyes. She couldn’t quite remember if she was sitting alone and Mitzi joined her with her sister because Mitzi’s younger sister was working at the restaurant too. So it was possible the sibling’s relationship was the catalyst that brought Mitzi onto the scene that night. At any rate Mary remembered the laughing and joking.
Lynne, who was single and unattached, caught the pretty eye of Mitzi almost immediately. He sat down casually across from Mary and Mitzi. The talk was easy and light with banter passing between Lynne and Peter who was working in the kitchen behind them. He was yelling back and forth through the open door. Mary watched as Mitzi and Lynne drew into that dimension where time and space have no meaning. It all happened so quickly Mary wasn’t quite sure if she missed either when shehad gone to the bathroom or went to run an errand for in a few short moments something amazing happened that changed their lives forever.
Whether Lynne was joking or not out of his mouth came the fateful words: Would you marry me? Mitzi’s surprising answer sealed the deal. In her innocence she had said a short but sweet “Sure!” It was such a surprise to everyone – to the love struck couple even more. They didn’t get married the next day but Lynne did buy Mitzi an engagement ring and they moved in together within a week or so!
It seemed to Mary that Mitzi might have been a little enamoured at the time and this was mingled with an urgency to get out of a house that she shared with 6 other siblings and her parents. It was overcrowded to say the least and Mitzi being one of the oldest had much responsibility cast upon her shoulders. Perhaps moving in with Lynne was a fate she preferred over the one that faced her at home.
However, Mitzi was a new addition to Mary, Peter, and Lynne’s life and they became a happy foursome who hung out on weekends and created the history for Mary and Peter’s early years of marriage together.
Mitzi and Lynne's marriage had long since dissolved by the time of this writing. Mitzi had remarried and that relationship had also failed. She was now living alone with the 19 year old daughter from this second coupling. She was living in Vancouver but come down to Toronto for her brother’s 50th birthday. Her visit down to see Mary was quite a drive and Mary felt Mitzi honoured her by coming all this way to visit.
Mary, whose thoughts had dissipated down memory lane, was suddenly jolted back to the present when the alarm clock went into action. It was time to get up. Oh well, she would get back to reminiscing later. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day. Reflections over Mitzi would wait. With that Mary arose from her bed and began her day even though she knew she had needed to look at the event of the time spent with Mitzi. So many old memories came up. Pieces of her past were all there waiting to be glued together. All she needed was a little more time to look at it. She would, she knew she would.
Right now she had to deal with all the distractions from the noise coming from next door. The neighbours seemed to be up early. Mary would have to see what was in the wind.