December 26, 2011

my neighbor with the gun- a Christmas story

The day before Christmas the neighbors that live next door came over for a visit. We thought it was the typical Christmas visit but it turned out to be that and more, much more!

They're a nice couple, she works as a produce manager in a local grocery chain store and he's disabled due to an injury and they come and visit fairly frequently since they moved in about a year ago. Their house is a small modest house and from what I've seen their furnishings are simple but the house is clean and neat. They have six cats with the most original names like tool box and velcro, their cats and our cats are buddies and play frequently . And although I would guess them to be somewhere in the forty range, they each have grown kids from previous marriages so they may be older.

Anyway they went on to tell and then show us how some truck had damaged their car (hit and run) in a parking lot just days before and spoke about how anxious they were to get estimates for the cost of the repairs. I was picking up undertones of emotions in the conversation and could tell that something other than the accident was on their minds. So I poured them each a tall glass of tea and we sat back for a visit to see whether my intuition was right.

He seemed a bit shaky and emotional  to me so I guessed whatever the reason for the visit would soon be revealed and it was soon after when he asked my husband to step outside for a minute.

They both came back into the house and tearfully he ask for money, as it turns out they needed money for unpaid bills. His plan was to bring over something to sell my husband, something he thought my husband would want to buy; a gun.( hubby's a collector) The sad thing was this particular gun was dear to him, given to him by someone special, and he was still willing to sell it, he needed money so badly.

My husband and I exchanged glances, that's all you need after thirty plus years of marriage. Bill pulled out his wallet took out the money and offered to give him the money he needed outright, but he refused.The fact of the matter is the mans pride was so heavily involved that we suggested that we'd hold the gun and he pay back the money, no time limit and this he agreed to. He was quite emotional, it was really very sad.

The people right next door were living without electric and here we are in our cozy house, you just never know do you?




5 comments:

  1. Wow Jen! This is so heartbreaking :/ Glad you and your husband could help your neighbors out! You just never know what people are going through...so sad.

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  2. We felt pretty bad for them too Jenna!

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  3. So sad! It's so true that we just never know what people are going through. I'm so glad you and your husband were able to help them out.

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  4. Lights are still out over there Martha, and you're so right we were happy to help.

    I gather with Christmas and the weekend the electric company will take a day or so to get them back on again.

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  5. It really closes in on home when there is someone in your own neighborhood struggling. I'm so glad that you helped them out. I hope things get better for them

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