Hallo Neighbor!

Vaughn sits on the stairs in front of 246 with the skateboard under his arm. Shelly sees him through the opened window of her kitchen and dries her hands.

“Hi Sweetie, are you alright?”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure, the door is unlocked.”

Vaughn steps inside the small kitchen. Shelly continues washing the dishes, but looks over her shoulder at the six-year-old with curly blond hair and missing front teeth. She wonders if she must say something about the dangers for children entering a stranger’s house?

“I can’t go to the room,” decides Vaughn as if he can read Shelly’s mind.

“Smart kid,” says Shelly.

Vaughn looks at the unfamiliar curtains, the kitchen table and bubbles on the foam as Shelly adds more dishwasher liquid to clean the pan.

“My friend lived here before you moved in, but now it is not the same. His mother used to bake us pancakes on Friday afternoons, the best in North America.”

“This pan is only good for baking one egg every other morning,” thinks Shelly but says: “For how long did your friend live here?”

Vaughn shrugs. “Since we were babies.”

‘That’s a long time,” says Shelly “Lucky you!”

“I wish he’d still live here.”

“Are there no other children around to play with?”

“Yes, but that is not the same.”

“Do you miss him that much?”

Shelly dries the cups with a cloth and puts them one after the other back into the cupboard.

“You didn’t ask my name,” says Vaughn.

Shelly turns around and kneels in front of him.

“Pardon me my poor manners; I’m Shelly from 246 and you are?”

“Chip.”

Vaughn takes the pen attached to the board for the grocery list and writes Chip – 244 down. “If you’re anything like my Mommy you will not remember unless I write it down. Chip isn’t my real name, but that’s what Tommy called me all the time.”

“It is hard,” says Shelly. “I wish there was another way to get around saying our goodbyes.”

“Nice meeting you,” says Vaughn “ I’d better be off.”

Vaughn is on his way out, but makes a turnaround not ready to leave yet.

“Just so you know, I’m going away for the holidays.”

Shelly can’t help but to smile at the sincerity in which way he talks.

“Will you come and say hallo when you are back? We are next-door neighbors you know?”

“I will be away for a very long time,” says Vaughn.

“Although we’ve been total strangers to each other until ten minutes ago,” ponders Shelly “he must feel the need to getting even.”

“Drop in if you’re back, I’m not going anywhere soon” says she.

“That I will have to see,” says Vaughn and leaves without any further to-do.

Shelly dries the pan, puts in onto the burner and pages through the recipe book until she finds Pancakes for two.

Picture by John Calitz