A couple of years ago, before I moved to this house, I had a neighbor, Sharon, who was raised about 20 miles from me. Us both being Cajuns would knock on each others doors when we damn well felt like it and end up spending the day together.
I’d known her about five years that time she knocked at my door and didn’t seem quite like herself. Somehow she’d put on a few pounds in a matter of days. Still, she was missing something. I asked her to come inside. Usually, she just came inside without my asking. But not this time. She seemed a little panicked, confused. So we’re just standing there looking at each other awkwardly and another Sharon jumps out of my hedges!
Turns out Sharon has an identical twin I’d never met and they were pranking me. What was really wicked was when they stood there laughing about it. They had the same exact laugh but it wasn’t quite sync’d up, so it sounded like I had my head in a tunnel listening to lunatic laughter.
That’s one of the best pranks anyone (or two) ever pulled on me.
I miss that about my old neighborhood, popping in and out of houses whenever we wanted. Although now we’re about a mile away with a six lane road dividing us, this place is quite different. No one is ever out in their yard chatting, people don’t even seem to know each other. They drive home from work, click the garage door opener and you don’t see them again until they drive home the next day and do the same thing all over again. I walk this neighborhood with my dogs every single day and I rarely see anyone outside. It is bizarre.
Sometimes I’m okay with this, especially since I’m writing again and need every moment of peace and quiet I can get. Other times, it seems wrong.
Spanky and Scrappy having fun with Photobooth.
The Show Must Go On 
hello the show must go on,
just saw your post in wordpress and thought i’d check it out,
interesting way to get punk’d, do you ever see your old friend?
hope all is well…
peace.
I do, but not nearly as often as I should. I just left her a message, if she doesn’t call me back soon, I’m going to hop in the car and go knock on her door.
My neigborhood is like that too – I do not know my neighbors at all, never see them. In NYC, you never knew the people in the apt. next door either.
Where we used to live, we became friends with a couple where we dropped in on each other like that. I liked it. We haven’t seen them in months and they live only an hour away.
You should go visit your twin friend.
Hey Michele, I went to my friend’s house last night. It was a long overdue visit. Turns out that for both of us the past year is the year we needed each other most.
I guess when I really need people I sort of pull away, deal with my shit on my own.
Now you should go visit your old friend, too.
The way you described your friend and the prank they played on you is so beautiful, Kitty. I hear longing and tenderness; touching. You did well, that you finally decided to actually drive to your friend. Isn’t it fascinating, how when you miss a friend so much that you dial his number or knock on his door after months and months it turns out that he had been missing you at the same time just about the same?
Well Sophia, this is actually all your fault after all because of that laughing quadruplet babies video you sent. : )
That’s what got me thinking of her. So thanks, thanks thanks for sending that.
A strange thing happened. My friend sent a wedding invitation for her daughter’s wedding and we never got it. I didn’t even know she had gotten engaged. I was so shocked last night to find out her daughter was married.
So all this time my friend was wondering why I didn’t show for the wedding.
Man I am so glad I went to see her last night. So glad.
Then I’m glad to know that part of this is all my fault 🙂
You tend to instigate a lot of good things, Sophia.
Troublemakers always get good things going on (wink).
That’s a lovely post, Kitty. The only identical twins I knew were boys and they were jerks. Wow were they jerks. I learned some smart and some tough getting them out of my life but wow were they jerks.
Where I am now is the first time since I was a kid that I know my neighbours and it’s lovely. They are good people and I actually never made it to the park a bunch of times this summer with the boy because I was stopped and wound up at someone else’s house. Magic.
I’m sorry your new neighbourhood doesn’t have that sort of energy but obviously YOU DO. You just got in your car. If you ever really wanted to change that street of yours – get people together – you would throw the best block party EVER. I’ve no doubt. Still, I’d prefer it if you spend as much time writing as possible. I’m selfish that way (smile).
The “jerky boys” sounds like an interesting story that must be told, Sulya. LOL.
I’m afraid a block party here would end up in an HOA brawl. My neighbors are currently fighting on an email list over “yard art.” Someone spent thousands of dollars to have some statue imported here and they won’t let him put it in his yard. People are taking sides, it’s crazy (but fun) to watch.
I miss that sort of neighborhood too- but the few that have popped up on my neighbors are overly fond of picking on some of my other neighbors so I’m keeping to myself…so Kitty, tell me do people acutally want to be friends or do they just tolerate each other?
Scary thought
I loved the twin thing! So sorry your new neighbours are such an unfriendly bunch, but really glad you deceided to pop over to your old neighbour. Make sure you don’t leave it so long next time. I always say it’s easy to buy a great house (if you got the dosh), but you can’t buy great neighbours. I have forbidden my neighbour to move. If one of us strikes it rich, that person have to buy 2 houses in the new place. As you’ve met Kate, you know why I don’t want them to leave me. If I’m sick or need anything, she’s there in an instance. She’s one of these people that gets things done. Not like me at all. And we get on so well. Even though our background and culture couldn’t be further apart, we’re really alike and just blend.
I loved it when we were neighbours, even after you moved down the road a bit, nothing changed. I remember that little drive so well I could still do it in my sleep.
When Klaus started school, none of us mothers knew each other, so I sent them all an invite to a coffee morning/meet & greet thing. (I lived very near the school) Loads of home made cakes and good coffee, as well as a few bottles of wine. We had a great time and some of them never made it home before it was time to pick up our kids. I did one of these coffee mornings another 2 or 3 times in the next 3 months, and by that time we were a real close bunch of friends and stayed that way during our kids years at the school. Some of us are still good friends over 20 years later. The best of times were you, Nellie and I. What a 3 some we were! All 3 of us so different, but so very close. Now I’d better stop before ramble on any more than I’ve already have. I just feel so blessed because I have the best friends in the world!!!
Anita Marie, I am thinking there aren’t any real people in this neighborhood, just droids who work too much and don’t spend any time living. Of course they are probably thinking the same thing I’m thinking.
Liv, you just reminded me, I owe Nellie a phone call.
You were always gifted about getting people together and bringing out the best in them. That was a fun crowd you had there, I remember you writing to me about them and then getting to meet a few of them. Funny, when I met Marion at the wedding, I knew exactly who she was just from the way you had described her through the years. Felt like I’d known her all along.
And I owe Nellie a couple of emails. If you read this Nellie, I think of you all the time, I just have gotten SOOO bad at writing to people. (I was just too good in my younger years)
Oh Kitty, I was thinking of you and your spooky tendencies last night around 9.30pm when I went to the newsagent. A young girl about 17 – 18 was working there and a couple of her friends were hanging around. I was commenting on how cold it was, having left a nice warm house to get my fix, and she suddenly said:”I’m going out when I finish work at 11″. I said I hoped she’d have a nice time. “Going over to Sudbury (a nice old town north of Colchester), to this old church yard. My mom is picking me up after work and taking us there. We’re gonna hang around and see what happens.” I said: “You’re mad, but I hope I see you in here next time”. If you’ve been with me you would have joined her, wouldn’t you? I didn’t want to ask why she was going all the way to Sudbury when we have spooky church yards right here. And why the hell did she tell me about it when I was just commenting on the weather, as is the custom over here?
My spooky tendencies, I thought you were talking about my sleepwalking. LOL.
I don’t know Liv, I’m afraid of graveyards at night. No way, I don’t think I would have done it. Sweetpea would have. She’s been putting in some hours at this haunted house thing to raise some money for charity. You still don’t have those there do you?
I think they do have one or two now, maybe in London or other big cities. I think I read something about it a couple of years back. Remember when you took Klaus and me to one? I was so shit scared I screamed non stop. Poor little Klaus was only about 6 and scared himself, but he was holding on to me protectively. At one point he said in his most serious voice to one of the creatures jumping at me:”Go away will you!”
You kept talking about these “great” haunted houses they had down town. No way on earth I’d enter one of those, unless I wanted to kill myself.
Oh yeah I remember that haunted house! What I did not realize at the time is that you had never heard of such a place and you didn’t know “ghouls and monsters” would be chasing after you.
I kept laughing while you were screaming. I thought you were just going with it. I had no idea you didn’t know what the hell was going on.