The Neighbor

I grabbed a box from the moving truck and carried it down the sidewalk. “This is the last one,” I called out.

My dad stepped out from the house, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was too hot to move furniture, but he insisted we get the task out of the way so he could relax for the weekend. This was the first time I’d been on my own, aside from the five years in the dorm. I looked at the small house and finally let a smile spread across my face. The excitement could no longer be contained. This was my house with my rules.

“We’re going to get out of here then.” My dad had his keys in hand, taking a step toward the driver’s side of the truck. My mom wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes glistened when she pulled away.

“Mom, I’ll be fine,” I reassured her.

“I know.” She walked to the passenger side and glanced back at me. She was always worrying about something.

I turned back to look at my house. It was a nice small two bedroom home. More importantly, it was mine. I walked in and let out a sigh. It was time for the tedious task of unpacking. I took another glimpse around the place and decided to grab a beer from the fridge instead. I closed the door and froze.

“Help!” The voice was almost inaudible.

I spun around to the dining room window that gave me a good view of the neighbor’s house. Worried that someone was in serious trouble, I put my beer on the counter and rushed over to the house next door. I knocked loudly and waited for an answer. There was no response, so I knocked again.

“Come in. The door is unlocked.” The voice belonged to an elderly lady.

My thoughts were on my grandma as I barged through the door. The house smelled like it hadn’t been aired out in months. A floral loveseat and blue recliner were position around the TV. I looked down at the oval rug that was probably as old as I was. The tall shelves held knickknacks and a few books, all covered in a layer of dust.

“Are you here?” The voice called out.

“Yes, I’m here. Where are you?” I called out, carefully walking down the hall and looking in each room.

“The last bedroom on the left.”

Sure enough, when I peeked into the room, an elderly woman was stretched out on her bed. I felt my heart break when our eyes locked. Her frame was small and her white hair was falling out of the bun that was bobby pinned to the back of her head.

“Can you help me sit up?” Her face twisted in discomfort as she attempted to move. I nodded.

“I’m Luis,” I said, helping her into a sitting position.

“Anne.”

“What can I do for you? Anything. You name it.” She smiled at my words.

“Thank you. I’m very thirsty,” she said.

With a nod I rushed to the kitchen and opened every cabinet door until I found the one that held the glasses. After filling the glass with water, I carried it back to the bedroom.

“Where is your family? Don’t they visit?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I haven’t heard from them in years. My daughter is busy with work and my grandchildren have more important things to worry about than their bedridden grandma.”

I fought back the tears that would expose my weakness. My grandma held a special place in my heart and I visited every chance I got. I determined to be there for my neighbor. A woman who had nobody. I glanced around the room and found a wheelchair.

“Do you want to watch TV in the living room?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to get out of bed. I’m too tired.”

I thought hard for a moment. “I’ll be back in just a bit. I promise.”

I unplugged the TV and moved it to her room. She laid quietly in her bed and watched me work. Then I ran back to the living room again where I saw some crossword puzzles and grabbed them along with a dining room chair.

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching reruns of her favorite shows and listening to her recount her life. Her voice trailed off in the middle of a story about her daughter. She had fallen asleep. A peaceful smile remained on her lips. I didn’t want to leave her just yet in case she needed something when she woke up. A knock at the door startled me. I jumped to my feet and hurried to the peephole. It was the police. I opened the door to greet them.

“We received a call about suspicious activity,” one of them stated, narrowing his eyes on me. “We need you to come with us.”

“What? But I didn’t do anything. I’m here taking care of my neighbor.”

The officers looked at each other and furrowed their brows. “Nobody has lived here for almost a year. The lady who lived here passed away,” one of them said.

“Poor woman. I heard she died alone. When we contacted her family they didn’t seem phased,” the other one said to his partner.

“No. She’s in here. I can show you,” I insisted. I walked to the back of the house and the officers followed me. When I reached the doorway and peered in, the bed was empty. “But-”

One of the officers shook his head. “This is just a warning. Stay out of here. If you break into this house again, we’ll be taking you in.”

I nodded my understanding and left. That beer and some rest sounded good about now. I walked over to the counter and popped the cap off the bottle. When I turned around, a movement in the neighbor’s house caught my eye. The woman looked out her window and smiled. I blinked and when my eyes opened again, she was gone.