Neighbours

From the time I left home I always tried to know my neighbours. Sometimes it was difficult but I always persisted in winning them over and becoming a true neighbour. A true neighbour is like a true friend and is always there when you are needed. I will give you a good example of a good neighbour when I was living next to a single , cranky lady who only talked to me when she was in trouble.

One night at about 3 am I received a call from madame x and she said that a skunk had fallen into her basement and was running around and she could not sleep. I realized that she had been having a few drinks and assessed the situation. I left my comfortable and friendly bed and made my way to the house next door in pyjamas bottoms and a house coat.

On meeting her at the back door I was shaken up by her concerned looks and asked again what the problem was. Now I had been known to get rid of skunks by a method I only heard about but bragged it really worked. I asked if she had a box and a flashlight and I would take care of the situation. I was told that a skunk will not spray if it is in a confined space and has no way out. With box in hand and a flashlight in the other I opened the basement door and crept down the open stairs carefully ( fearfully ).

I saw the skunk and shining the light on the bandit I scared it into a corner which had piles of boxes filled with bottles of preserves. The skunk tried to climb the mess but missed and a avalanche of bottles spewed over the earthen floor. I quickly passed the box over the skunk and actually had no fuss from the skunk. He or she was content to lie in the confines of the small box.

Now that I had it trapped I needed something to put under the box to confine the skunk to it's small prison. I asked madame x if she could help me find a small piece of plywood to slide under the box. She placed her cigarette in one hand and said she was in no condition to help. Not wishing to cause a fuss but wanting to wring her neck I spy ed a flat piece of flooring in the corner and asked her to get it for me. She said she didn't want to walk on the earth floor in bare feet. I shouted for her to help and she finally did.

I slid the flooring under the box and carefully carried the box and flooring up stairs and out the door. I released the skunk in the back yard and it raised its left leg and sprayed. The skunk walked slowly to the back fence and disappeared down to the river. It is now an hour later and I say goodnight to my neighbour and go home smelling like a skunk. Madame x thanked me with a wave of the hand and a thank you.

Returning to the friendly confines of my bed I said to Roma, I hope she appreciates what we do for being a good neighbour. That Friday madame x gave us a couple of bottles of wine and smiled at the same time. From that time on we were friends and neighbours. By the way I was called upon to remove another skunk from her basement. What are neighbours for?