Thursday Writing
The Worst Smelling Neighbor
I have this new neighbor, he just moved in next door. He is the fifth person to move into that house in a month. I have lived in my house all my life and I it perplexes me as to why my neighbors keep running away. Is it me?
I try to be welcoming and bring my new neighbor a fresh plate of chocolate chip cookies, but he takes on whiff of the cookies and slams the door in my face. This has happened to me five times and the rejection has drastically impacted my life.
I now dress in a black raincoat whenever I go outside. I wear dark sunglasses so no one can see who I am. I wear a big black sombrero so no one will approach me (everyone knows not to go near anyone wearing a black sombrero, it’s bad luck). I wear black sweatpants and big black rubber boots so no one can see my skinny chicken legs waddling down the street.
Today, as I take my daily dreaded walk to my mailbox, my new neighbor interrupts my routine. He waves at me trying to get my attention; I just keep walking, determined to make a quick trip to my mailbox and back home.
He runs up to me, smiles and begins to speak, “Hi, I wanted to apologize for slamming my door in your face, I just had an emergency-I smelled something terrible, like dead fish or something rotting, and I had to take care of it.”
I ignore him just wanting to get my mail and continue with my day.
He is rather aggressive and begins to take my sombrero of wanting to see my face. He lifts my sunglasses off and I feel violated. I immediately shrink into my coat and he removes my coat so he could see who I really was.
He sees what I have become and he shrieks throwing my black coat up in the air and running away. I see him race back to his house come out carrying his suitcase, sprinting to the bus stop. I laugh and now know why I have been rejected. As my neighbor rips off my coat I turn into a foul-smelling skunk that no one wants to be around.
I try to be welcoming and bring my new neighbor a fresh plate of chocolate chip cookies, but he takes on whiff of the cookies and slams the door in my face. This has happened to me five times and the rejection has drastically impacted my life.
I now dress in a black raincoat whenever I go outside. I wear dark sunglasses so no one can see who I am. I wear a big black sombrero so no one will approach me (everyone knows not to go near anyone wearing a black sombrero, it’s bad luck). I wear black sweatpants and big black rubber boots so no one can see my skinny chicken legs waddling down the street.
Today, as I take my daily dreaded walk to my mailbox, my new neighbor interrupts my routine. He waves at me trying to get my attention; I just keep walking, determined to make a quick trip to my mailbox and back home.
He runs up to me, smiles and begins to speak, “Hi, I wanted to apologize for slamming my door in your face, I just had an emergency-I smelled something terrible, like dead fish or something rotting, and I had to take care of it.”
I ignore him just wanting to get my mail and continue with my day.
He is rather aggressive and begins to take my sombrero of wanting to see my face. He lifts my sunglasses off and I feel violated. I immediately shrink into my coat and he removes my coat so he could see who I really was.
He sees what I have become and he shrieks throwing my black coat up in the air and running away. I see him race back to his house come out carrying his suitcase, sprinting to the bus stop. I laugh and now know why I have been rejected. As my neighbor rips off my coat I turn into a foul-smelling skunk that no one wants to be around.
♠ ♠ ♠
Age 16. Thurs 10/6