I am very blessed to live in a nice, quiet, middle class suburban area of Atlanta, just ITP [inside the perimeter]. I have lived here since 2005, when Mom sold her house in Augusta and I moved out of my condo in Tucker, and we set up housekeeping together. I wasn't sure how it would be, living with mama once again, after 20+ years on my own, but it has been a terrific arrangement for us all, including my kids.
I love my neighborhood and we are blessed to have wonderful neighbors. I know everyone on my cul de sac by face and name.
However, there is one neighbor I rarely ever see or speak with, although we have never had a cross word. Now, I am in a quandary because I was rude to said neighbor without realizing it.
This neighbor is someone I have had a personal conversation with exactly twice since 2005. She never ventures outside, not to the front yard anyway.
I walk Lola every day, usually twice a day or more. I notice things. Whose daffodils are coming up early. Whose cat likes to tease Lola. Whose mailbox flops open all the time, looking like a woman with her top down. I don't check my phone or listen to music while I walk. I try to just enjoy the beauty of the neighborhood, and be alert for other dogs because when Lola sees another dog she goes nutso and it takes all my strength to hold her.
This shy neighbor has a repair that needs to be made on the front of her house. I noticed the issue and thought, I bet they won't know this because they always go in the back door. They rarely go in the front yard. I need to call them and just make sure they know there's an issue.
A while back, I compiled a list of all the immediate neighbors, cell numbers and emails. So I whipped out my handy dandy list and called the cell number of Mrs. Shy Neighbor. She didn't answer her phone. Her voicemail was full. I struck out there.
I next tried her husband, Mr. Shy Neighbor -- a man so shy that I once saw him in Publix, threw up my hand and hollered HEY NEIGHBOR! He was in the produce department. He looked at me in absolute horror, like I was with the KGB and was going to arrest him for illegal broccoli smuggling or something.
So when I got Mr. Shy Neighbor on the phone yesterday he sounded surprised to hear from me. I told him about the repair that needed to be made to the front of his house and he said "We had noticed it but we didn't know what to do about it." He explained they are still getting estimates on the repair.
I gave him the name and phone number of the handyman I use, who also lives in the neighborhood.
So that was that, or so I thought.
Every night after dinner I sit and relax and watch TV and play Words With Friends on my phone, and sometimes do little painting projects. I was just finishing my dinner last night when I got a call. I looked at the screen and thought, it's one of those horrible calls from idiots trying to sell me something. They always call from a local number. Unlike many people, I like to answer my phone but I HATE those calls! So I decided to be clever about answering it.
I answered the phone and said Yes?! Who is this? in Russian. There was a pause.
A woman's voice barked I GOT A CALL FROM THIS NUMBER WHO IS THIS?!
I thought Wow, way to sound rude. My Russian is very limited. So I just I answered, "I didn't try to call you lady!" and hung up. I didn't want to get into an argument with a rude, deranged person.
Then I thought about it, and realized it might have been Mrs. Shy Neighbor.
Oh CRAP.
So do I call her back and acknowledge it was me and apologize, or not? What if I am wrong and it wasn't her?
I talked to Mom and told her the situation. She said just let it go.
I have let it go. I think.
Remind me never to speak Russian around Mrs. Shy Neighbor. She might think I am a spy, looking to do some broccoli smuggling...
ADDENDUM
My "shy neighbor" came to see me this afternoon and we had a nice chat. She had seen this blog but she was incredibly gracious about it. She said she did NOT call me -- I was relieved to hear that. She has always been polite and kind and I was so startled when I thought it might have been her. I am so glad to be mistaken. I am still left with the mystery of who it was that called me, though. Interesting...
