Neighbourliness

What makes a good neighbour?  Someone who treats your kitchen as hers? Whose kids spend more time in your house than their own?  What about the other extreme - you have no idea what your neighbours look like.  You may have seen them once, pulling out of their driveway and studiously turning their heads to avoid your tentative wave, but that's it.

I have a very good neighbour and our neighbourly relationship is perfect, although some may find it odd.  Both single women living alone, similar ages, we work in the same complex, belong to the same bookclub and usually see each other once a month.  At book club.  

"How is that possible?" you ask.  Surely we are an ideal match to have a kind of revolving door situation, doing many things together almost joined at the  hip?

Well, no.  We get on very well, have children similar ages, love the same books, have the same interests but we are both, individually, busy people.  It's proven quite difficult to fix dates to get together so now we grab the odd moments (loadshedding candle light drinks on my patio and a very relaxed Friday night swinging in her uber comfy 'egg' chairs after a delightful supper.)  Occasional messages checking that one or the other isn't the only person without water or power and a friendly chat when we pass in the street is pretty much it.

But here is why she's the very best of neighbours and we have such an excellent neighbourly marriage.  I'm out of the country for a while and got a message from her to ask about a strange car which has taken up residence in my driveway. Heart pounding, I ask her to give security a call to check it out, which she did immediately and kept me up to date with events as they unfolded. Nothing to worry about, just a cheeky neighbour taking advantage of additional parking but still, my fab neighbour noticed an oddity and went to the trouble to let me know, alerted security and followed through.

Now that's a wonderful human being and a special neighbour.  Close enough to notice and care, reserved enough to respect our mutual privacy.

Viva Sherreen at No 4!