The Cabinet Under the Stairs

Meeting the Neighbor

A few weeks later, after we were completely settled, Mom wanted to get to know the neighbors. We walked across the street and she rang the bell. Not sure why people want to get to know their neighbors, but there we were, standing on someone guy's walkway.

Mom knocked on the door and a tall, older gentleman with short, white hair and a scar over his closed left eye flung the storm door open with enough force to blow my hair back. The sheer force of his energy at the intruders on his property made me take a step back, or maybe it was the fact that he almost hit me with his stupid door. He didn't seem frail like most people his age. He could probably give Robert a run for his money, and Robert wasn't weak. 

He stared at us and Mom introduced us. 

"Hello." She extended her arm for a handshake. "I'm Cathy Holbrook, and these are my children, Robert and Elise."

The man gave each of us a nod completely ignoring Mom's hand. "Hal. What can I do ya fer?"

"Hello, Mister... Hal." She stretched out his name prodding him for more.

"No Mister. Just Hal."

She nodded, slowly pulling her arm back. "Well, I'm just excited to meet our new neighbors."

"New neighbors?" His eyes moved slowly to our house across the street. "Not in that house?"

"Yes," said Mom. "Is something wrong with that house?"

He looked at us. "Ya plan on being there long?"

"I did sign a two-year lease."

"Of course he would do that," he said under his breath. He let out a huff.

"Who would do what?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Don't ya worry your pretty head about nothin', Little Lady. I'm right over here if any of ya'll need anythin,' got it?"

"Oh." Mom placed her hands on my shoulders and pulled me back a bit. "Thank you so much. They're good kids, but it's nice to know there's such a kind adult nearby who can help them out if they need it."

They stared at each other for an awkward moment.

"Ya have a nice day now," he said.

"Oh, of course," said Mom. "I didn't mean to keep you."

We waved and left his property.

"That was a disaster," said Robert.

"No," said Mom. "He's just busy doing... whatever it is that he does. We interrupted."

"I thought it went fine," I said. "The neighborhood seems super nice. I like it here."

Mom wrapped her arm around me and gave me a little hug.

Robert leaned down to me. "Suck up."

"Oh," Mom grabbed my arm. "Look over there. There's a lady in her garden. Let's go say hello."

"Let's not and say we did," said Robert.

"You're so anti-social."

"I try my best, but you just won't let me."

The lady looked up from her gardening to see Mom waving. She wore a large, yellow sun hat over her short, brown hair. She had on light brown gardening gloves that were pink around the wrists and knelt on a pad with a flower pattern.

"Your roses are beautiful," Mom shouted.

The lady lifted her arm to wave back and saw Robert walk into our house. She gasped and then rushed into her house leaving a pile of unwanted green things next to her gardening pad.

"I wonder what got into her?" Mom asked.

"Maybe she suddenly had to use the bathroom."

We entered our new house. Jack was just staring at the cabinet under the stairs. I walked over to see what he was looking at and saw a small rainbow of light moving ever so slightly back and forth. I glanced around for what could be causing the light and saw a prism hanging in the window. It was the one Dad gave me. I liked the rainbows they made when I was younger, so Dad surprised me with one. A single crystal prism on a wire for hanging. Mom must've put it in the window for me. She normally didn't go through my things, though.