The Old Lady Next Door

Chapter 2- The best birthday gift ever

"Have a nice day, Betty!" The old lady showed her crow's feet as she smiled. She closed my door, leaving me stunned and wondering what exactly had happened. I looked at the plate with the apple pie on my hands and tried to remember everything she had just said to me.

After a while, I walked over to the old gray couch and sat on it. I stared at the apple pie for quite a while. The words she said, "Happy birthday, my sweet Betty," kept coming back to me. How could someone I had never met know my name and my birthday? How did she know that apple pie was one of my favorite desserts? With all the confusion and uncertainty, I picked up the piece of pie, I could feel it's still warm inside. It was just like the one my mother used to make for me when I was a little girl. I closed my eyes and enjoyed it. It seemed like I could hear 5-year-old Betty cheering for the pie she had that day. To be honest, I hadn't felt this relaxed in days after being fired and forced to move out of my last apartment. It felt so good to be able to let go of the mental tragedy, at least for a few minutes.

When I opened my eyes again, there were only a few crumbs left on the plate. I have to admit, this is one of the best apple pies I've ever had in my life. Ever since I was little, if I really loved the dessert I'd had, there was a "sacred ritual" I would do after eating something I loved, which was to "clean up" the plate with my tongue. I started licking the crumbs around the plate, just like 5-year-old Betty would do after licking all the crumbs on her plate. I was so satisfied with just one piece of apple pie. Yes, just one piece of apple pie. Then there was a voice inside of me: "You should get a present for the old lady when you return the plate. So I stood up, looked around, and began to think about what to give the old lady.

I opened my heavy luggage and rifled through it, trying to find something she might like. "The miniskirt? No, that's not for her." "The scarf? No, the color might be too young for her." "How about the wooden comb I bought on my trip to Thailand? Come on! Who wants that used comb! It sucks!" I kept talking to myself as I looked around to see if there was anything that could be a suitable gift for her. Suddenly, I found something that my new neighbor might like - an elegant, fancy Japanese folding fan that I bought in Kyoto last year as a birthday present.

After washing the plate, I picked up the plate and the gift and went to her door. I stood at her door and took a few deep breaths before knocking.

"Oh, how did it taste? My darling. Come in," her words were like a spring breeze as she opened the door.

"The pie was really good. Madam." I said.

"For God's sake, just call me Joy."

"Uh....Joy, here's your plate. It's already washed. Oh, oh, by the way, this is a Japanese folding fan I bought when I had a luxurious vacation in Japan. I hope you like it." I have no idea why I was so nervous as I handed her the gift.

"Oh, thank you, dear. That's very sweet of you. I really love it." Joy took the fan and opened it. She showed her deep crow's feet as she smiled. Her wrinkled fingers tenderly touched the fan. Her eyes revealed profound life wisdom even though she didn't say a word. I couldn't stop staring at her. I was so curious about the mysterious woman in front of me.

Later, a little girl pulled me out of my daydream. She ran in and hugged Joy excitedly. "Grandma Joy!"

"Is she your granddaughter, Joy?" I asked.

"No, she lives with her parents next door to our apartment. Emma is a very warm and thoughtful girl." Joy caressed the little girl's hair as she answered my question.

"Emma, this is our new neighbor - Betty." Joy introduced me to the little girl.

"Hi Betty, my name is Emma. Have you tried Grandma Joy's apple pie? It's the best pie in the world. Oh no, it's the best pie in the universe!" Emma's eyes lit up as she talked about how fantastic the apple pie was and we all laughed.

Emma is definitely a sweet girl. She is just like a little powerhouse that makes your day full of energy. If Joe is the breeze in the spring, then Emma is the sun that radiates warmth to the earth. When I was lost in my thoughts, Emma held my hand and asked Joy. "Grandma, would you like to play Chinese checkers with Betty? There are 3 of us. It must be fun!"

"Sure. My girl." Joe smiled as she replied.

Emma pulled out a box of Chinese checkers. She said, "Grandma, what color do you want? You're the first to choose."

"I want the blue ones like always." Granny Joe said as she caressed Emma's pink cheeks.

"Betty, you're my new friend, you get to choose second."

"Thanks, sweetie, I'll take the red ones." I smiled.

"Then I'll take the pink ones. Let's play now!" Emma laughed as she picked up a small pink chess set.

I have moved several times since I started working as a journalist. Maybe because I was stressed most of the time, I rarely talked to any of my neighbors, let alone get an apple pie from a neighbor or play Chinese checkers with someone like Joy or Emma. Being with them gave me a sense of security and groundedness. It reminded me of the days when I was little, playing card games with my older brother, Steve, in our wooden living room. I laughed out loud when I played Chinese checkers with my new neighbors, acted like a little girl when I talked to Emma, cheered and screamed when any one of us won the game. It took me back to that sweet childhood memory. There was nothing to worry about, no press release to get out on time, no need to hide my feelings with a fake happy face everywhere. It was a real blessing for me.

When the sun went down, I realized that we'd been playing Chinese checkers all afternoon at Joy's place. Up to that point, I realized that the horrible birthday turned out to be one of the best days of my life after meeting my new neighbors.

"Who wants some apple pie?" Grandma Joy asked as she got up and walked to the kitchen.

"I want it!!" Emma and I raised our hands and answered loudly. We looked at each other and hugged and laughed together. She looked at me like a 5-year-old girl and I also acted like a child.

On that beautiful afternoon, the 5-year-old, carefree, happy and innocent Betty came back to me. The little girl I thought I would never meet again in my life after working in a high-pressure environment. As I said goodbye to my new neighbors and returned to my apartment, I sat down on the old gray couch and closed my eyes again. I try to savor everything that happened that afternoon. It seems that little Betty is coming to me again. She waves to me with her hands and gives me a big smile. I smile back at her. I wanted to tell her, "How have you been, my 5-year-old Betty? I miss you. I love you. Meeting you is the best birthday present I ever got. Thank you so much. Happy birthday to you. "