Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood Ch. 03

"Hey!" I feel a flutter in my gut. "Right this way." I step aside so she can walk through the gate.

"Woah!" She pauses and only then, as she stares at all the plants, do I notice that her basket is an Easter style basket. In fact it is, I see the little blades of plastic green grass still stuck in the wicker.

"Yeah. All the colors made Easter egg hunts extra fun."

Honestly I only hunted eggs to be more like other kids, and the tradition carried over to this home as well.

"Easter egg..?" She looks at me in wonder then her eyes follow mine down to her hand. "Oh, the basket! Yeah, I like the candies!" A bit more reluctantly she adds. "And plush animals." Her cheeks tint.

"I have, had, I had a rabbit that was bigger than I am now." She must have seen some emotion on my face as I think I heard her say sorry. "We lost it in the move out here. I never really liked dolls or that sort of thing, but I've always wanted another big bunny." I admitted. She got her smile back and I felt good for some reason. "There's lots of fruits and veggies, so, you can take what you like."

"Really!? Thanks!" Dina stood there and we stare at each other for a moment.

"So, you have tomatoes?"

I nod. "Other side of the house." I inform.

"Carrots?" I answer by tilting my head forward and to the left at a planter box against the house.

"What about cucumbers?"

"Only when I get lonely." Her eyes widen and she stares at me in shock. "Sorry, my mom tends to say things like that every time someone asks about cucumbers." My face heats up and I am suddenly interested in the Snap Dragons, the only flower I can identify that isn't a Rose Bush or Tulip.

"I am not too good with people." I tell her.

"It's okay. So, Pears..." I start to walk with her.

I catch sight of myself in the window. I had washed my sundress yesterday, along with the lacy panties. I was wearing them now. Along with a green button up sweater, currently unbuttoned. Only now I remembered that I hadn't put on a sports bra. Two proud points shifted in and out of view as we passed the pane of glass.

My green, slip on Vans kicking pebbles as we go, I can only think of how they'll smell like feet since I didn't put socks on. I stop and there are the trees.

"My mom wants to plant an Avocado tree." I say, making small talk as I watch her reach up and pluck a pear. Those breasts that I envy being cupped by her stretched top.

"Those things take seven years before they produce fruit." She wipes off the pear on her shirt and adds. "Or so I've read." She looks at me as she takes a bite of the pear, her eyes close and she lets out a hum of enjoyment. "Juicy!"

"I'll let Mom know that you approve." I smile.

I help pick the fruit until the basket is full. She looks at me to say something but I see recognition in her eyes. She looks suddenly guilty.

"Uh, thanks!" She forces a smile and hurries from the yard.

"You're welcome!" I call out.

I am confused, about a lot of stuff. I head up to my room.

I immediately notice that Dina's curtains are drawn. I also hear the thump, thump, thump of bass. I can still hear the rest of the harmonies, though, and I think about how we are alike in that aspect.

I even recognize the song.

Dopethrone by Electric Wizard.

I decide to go down to the basement for a run.

I don't know how long I was running. I tend to go into my own little world and can run the equivalent of a marathon. Mom startles me and I jump off the treadmill.

Down here it is warm, I am in tight sweats and shirt. Probably the only place I feel comfortable dressing like this.

"Hey, Mom!"

"You're all sweaty." She backs up as I go to hug her but smiles amusedly.

I notice that I am soaked through. Then my stomach grumbles.

I am hit by a towel and fight with it a moment while my mom snickers at me.

"What's for dinner?" I ask.

"I don't know yet." She picks up a protein bar wrapper. "Is this all you have eaten?"

"Bagel with cream cheese and blueberries. A box of doughnuts, these, some leftover pizza." I shrug and begin to pick up all of the tossed wrappers. "Lots of calories. That's all I know. I've been sort of zoning out today." I admit the last part and it perks her interest since I am usually focused. "Mom?"

"Yes, Dear?"

There is a long silence between us.

"Sorry, I guess I don't know how to ask, or even what to ask yet."

"Well, when you figure it out, I will be here." She pats my shoulder and we both hear the sound of wet cloth under her palm. "Now shower for dinner."

As I am going up the basement stairs I hear Mom ask. "Do you know what happened to our fence?"

I give her the short version and I leave. When I walk into the kitchen later she is still laughing.

"I just told Mary-Bell about that kid and the peppers, she thought it was a riot!"

"Well, she always had a mean streak in her. Remember the candied Cayenne Peppers that one Halloween?"

"You were five! You remember that?" She asks seriously.

"I didn't know what the other kids were complaining about. I went back and got another bag."

She nodded as she thought back.

I sit down and am surprised to see stir fry pork and fried rice. "Chinese today?"

"Why not? I didn't feel like making anything too complicated."

To be clear, she makes nearly everything from scratch. Corn bread included. Saturday is usually a more complex meal with a lengthy prep time.

"Rough day at work?" I ask.

"No. I left the new girl to handle it and went out."

I didn't bring up how I thought that was a bad idea. "Where did you go?"

"I finally went out with Stephen." She sighed. "I don't think it went well. He was also..."

"You're not going to bring up sex are you?"

"Tuyet!" She was indignant. "It was only the first date!" She scolded. "Honestly!"

I held up my hands. "Sorry, I don't know what you do on date." I returned my focus back on the simple and quick dish. "So what went wrong?"

"He was boring. It was all about work and some stupid television show." Mom sighed.

"You'll find some one." I said with encouragement.

"As will you, someday." I sighed, quietly, as Mom gave me a wink. "You have good genes! It would be a shame not to pass them on!" She used her left hand to motion at herself and her right hand to motion at me and is smiling proudly.

"I guess." I say, manage a smile and dig in. Dinner gets quiet after that.

Mom troubled by her bad date and I over the unusual thoughts I have been having.

Night time.

Mom turns in early, right after dinner.

I watch The Simpsons, from the DVD collection. A couple episodes and then I zone out for a few more. I turn off the machine, eat an apple and a Hershey bar before going to my room.

I still hear the music from Dina's room. She turned it down some.

Neither her mother's car or father's car is in their drive. I see her shadow on her curtains. It appears she is standing while painting, the motions are not like when I see her boxing and more like when I watched her sitting there before.

I watch a bit longer and then decide to go to bed.

Sunday morning.

I am up earlier than usual. I did turn in early last night.

I can still hear music from Dina's room and start to sing along with Who Made Who by ACDC. I am not really paying attention to this as I enter my bathroom and take a seat on the toilette. I sit there, mindlessly staring at the wall while I feel my bladder empty.

I hear the screeching of tires and a loud bang. I vaguely think about the noise but the thought is gone as I am ready to clean myself up.

I step into the shower briefly. Just enough to wet my hair and rinse off, I really do this more to help wake myself.

I hop out, dry off and head to my room.

There I put on my big fluffy robe and slippers that were "accidentally" packed into an over night bag at a nice hotel when I was thirteen. Mom and I had taken a trip. I don't remember where, but I have the robe and slippers.

I hold the rail as I go down the stairs and try not to stumble.

The wonderful smell of coffee lingers in the air. Usually Mom stays home Sundays, but there is a note by the coffee pot and I only look at it after my first cup.

"Went to work ~ Mom" is what it reads. There is also a small heart with a smile face on it. I can't help but smile.

I'm eighteen and she still leaves me with little notes.

When Dad was alive. All those years as a latch key kid. Sweet little notes. I still have every single one she left me since Dad passed. They had become special in some way. I stick it in my robe pocket and head to the picture window in the den.

My brain works hard to figure out what exactly is wrong as I look at a car parked on our fence and lawn. The splintered wood across our front yard. The rest of the fence slanting slightly towards our home.

Still not fully awake but I perk up seeing Dina come into view. She is dressed for the day, ready for a workout at the gym. She flings the car door open and out falls her father. A few beer cans as well.

She's yelling at him and he pulls himself up by the door and then backhands her.

I'm out side before I know it. Phone in hand. Not sure even when I grabbed my phone, then again I tend to have it with me all the time. Like a second nature or something.

A voice on the line is asking me what the emergency is. I'm yelling at Dina's father. "Leave her alone, asshole!"

Now I've catch up with myself.

Dina is on the ground and the surprisingly large form of her father stops smacking her and stands up tall, swaying as he focuses, or tries to focus on me.

"Shtay ow da diss!" He pokes me, hard, I realize I am way too close but I am too angry to care.

"You hit my friend and parked on my fence and lawn, you dumb, drunk bastard!" I shove him.

It is almost like that thing when someone kneels on all fours behind someone and another pushes the target. Only in this case, Dina wasn't in on a plan and she is just as surprised as her father tumbles back over her. He hits the ground and lies still, shocked, dazed, and then his eyes close. Then we both hear the loud snore and it repeats.

"I guess the drink caught up with him." Dina winces and I help her up.

I hear the voice on the phone still asking what is going on. "Drunk driving, domestic abuse..." I trail off staring at Dina and she nods. I give the address and pull Dina along with me.

The police show up. It is not hard for them to tell where they need to be, and Dina's dad still sleeps in their yard.

I hear Dina take a deep breath, hold it, then she stands as she lets it out. "I have dreamed about this."

I don't think she was talking to me, maybe she was. I just robotically follow as she walks out and towards the officers. I send Mom a text, letting her in on the morning's events.

Dina and I are separated.

Questions are asked and then we're let go.

A few other neighbors give their say.

Mr. Cohen. Nice guy. Typical old "Keep off my lawn" type guy. Loves Halloween! Puts up a small fence that looks like bones, fake grave stones, one jack-o-lantern with skillful carving, turns off all the lights. King size candy bars, no nuts.

Mrs. Lee, she is the neighborhood busy body. I don't think anyone really likes her. She pries into everyone's business but best to play nice unless you want her spreading rumors.

Our last neighbors moved because of her. Could have been the affair rumors. Maybe when she said they abused their son. Their dog went missing the week before they started packing, and Mrs. Lee hated their dog. Take your pick, but the lady is a bitch.

I give the fake smile and wave, Mrs. Lee returns the wave and smile then follows the cop back to his car asking questions.

Dina steps up beside me. Her eye is swelling and she blows the tissue from her nose. "I'm your friend, huh?"

I judge that there is no sarcasm in her tone and nod.

"Since you saw how messed up my life is?"

I shake my head no.

"Then why?"

Even I have to think of it. She hadn't really messed with me all year so far. Even though I had remained paranoid and on edge the last few months waiting for the big events.

"After all I've done to you, why?" She snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Since I chose to forgive you... every day." I really mean it too. There is not a day I haven't forgiven her. Life is too short to hate everyone. Okay, so I have maybe two people on my never forgive list, but that is a whole other jar of pickles that I don't want to open.

The more I think on it, I even forgave the ditz girls who shoved me in my locker. I still don't trust them, but I forgave them.

"Why?" Dina asks.

"Why do you pick on me?" I turn the tables.

She stands there, now looking at the ground.

"I don't remember why, I just remember it was something Porter had said the week you started hanging out with Anna." Dina shifts, her stance facing away from me. I know she is going to walk away, so I place a hand on her shoulder. She doesn't brush me off.

"I recently learned that it was all a lie." She admits. "Whatever it was." A dark chuckle comes from her and I tense since this is a noise I am familiar with hearing from her. "Porter is a bitch!"

I remember Porter. Chubby girl. Never lost the extra chubby, but grew into it. You could describe her as handsome, not pretty. She was everyone's bully, but had never come after me. Instead she was always in the background whenever Dina messed with me.

Porter's father was a colonel. She thought that she was entitled to push the children of the lower ranks around, that was why only local kids were her friends.

"You need more pears?" I ask through a yawn and I think Dina is surprised by the sudden change of topic.

She puts on her crooked smile. "Yum, breakfast!"

The cops leave and Dina's dad is hauled off. Soon we're sitting in the back yard on the bench. Just the sound of us biting into apples and pears respectively.

"This is nice." I speak up and Dina nods. "Sorry I'm not much of a conversationalist."

"I'm sort of up here right now." She says this while tapping on her head.

"Lots to think about." I observe and she nods again.

"Dad is an ass. Karen lives up to her name on Reddit. My little brother is not quite to asshole but he's getting there. Makes me wish I was still an only child."

"You call your mom Karen?" I ask confused.

"No." She shakes her head no. "I call my mom Mom. Karen is the second marriage. The third woman."

"Where is your mom?" I ask and she flinches.

Before I can apologize she says. "Which one?"

She notices that I have a very confused look on my face.

"My birth mother, Aghavni, died when I was one. She never fully recovered from complications with my birth." Dina stare at one of the chewed down cores.

"Dad never wanted a girl. I guess that is why I play the sports I do." She looked up at me. "Ming was Dad's first wife, and I loved her dearly! First generation American, moved back to China for a while and came back for college. Met that bastard." She motioned towards her house. "Five years she was part of my family before Dad started fucking that thing that lives with us now. Ming left when it showed up seven months pregnant with the hell spawn." Dina spit a seed over the fence. "I wish Ming would have taken me when she packed up and left that night."

The hint of longing and sadness I could hear prompted me to lean a little and hug her. I am surprised when she hugs back, yet, it is nice. To be able to comfort someone that is. Not the full breast pressing against my arm.

"Hey, I gotta go to the gym! I'm late for practice!" She was up and running before I could say anything.

I choose to busy myself with picking up the yard. Bits of wood. Nails. The tire marks. Dina's mailbox.

The familiar knocking of the Chrysler engine coming onto the street and pulling up in their drive. I hear Karen. "What the fuck?"

"Your old man is in jail. So... enjoy that." I say with a smile.

She gives me a dirty look as her window goes up then backs out of the driveway and points the vehicle in the direction of the police station.

The brat now crying because of his daddy being in jail.

"Man that kid is loud." I think out loud and I am surprised to hear our paper boy agree. It is collection day, so I grab the envelope from by the door and hand it off. "Big date with Terra?" He just gives me a wry grin and hustles to the next house.

I get back to work and it is dark by the time I got the strips of dirt left by the Chevy sedan's tires filled in with grass from the back. I may have learned a little from Mom's D I Y phase. I did help, still do. She still does D I Y projects, it just isn't obsessive anymore.

Just as I put the shovel back Mom hugs me from behind. "Looks like we have a new project, Mom." I smile.

"We will wait until the insurance check comes. For now, get cleaned up for dinner."

Dinner is corn bread, dirty rice done in Louisiana style, barbecue hot links.

I see Dina come back from the gym. She is moving fast and I just hear her front door slamming as I step out of mine. I head back in. She didn't look angry, or hurt any more than she was before she left for the gym. Did she not want to see me?

I am thinking about it hard when I look up to see Mom snapping her fingers in front of my face.

"You looked lost." She tells me. "Want to talk?"

"What did I tell you about the incident today?" I ask pulling out my phone and checking.

I don't get the chance, her hand covers the screen.

"That someone hit our fence." She answers. "Is there more?"

"I don't think it is my place." I tell her and I give her a hug, mostly because I need it.

Mom and I hold each other for a spell then she lets go of me. "Let's eat while it is hot."

"What was work today?" I ask helping to set the table.

"The church had a potluck. I delivered a bunch of deli meats and cheeses." She laughed. "That Blutcher boy is going to be constipated!" I rolled my eyes. "He ate two platters of Cheddar and half the Gouda I had taken out there."

"How long do you think it will be?" I resign myself to the conversation.

"Three days." She answers. "So, are you getting along with the rest of our new neighbors?"

"Mr. Ass hat, Karen, Brat... no, no I am not." I state. "But Dina is as sweet as you said she was."

I don't know what I said or did to make my mother look at me like that. She smiles and says "That's nice, Dear!"

We talk about bands she liked growing up that I may not have heard of and I bring up new ones I think she should check out.

I volunteer to wash the dishes and I see Dina in her kitchen now that the fence is broken down. She sees me as well and waves shyly. I wave back and she turns out the light. Her figure in shadow disappears from the room.

I get up to my room about ten. I see her curtains open. Her light is on. She must have fallen asleep writing in her book. Sprawled out on her bed in a pair of short shorts and sports bra.

I decide it is a good time to go to bed as well. I've got school tomorrow anyway.

Monday, horrible Monday.

"Hi, Garfield!" Mom's chipper tone doesn't help me much. She isn't too far off on the joke though.

I mumble some greeting, even if it isn't actually words. She just pats my head and sets a hot cup of coffee in front of me. Breakfast is already laid out. Double helping of bacon, three eggs and two flapjacks that cover the plate dusted in powdered sugar. She beams at me and watches as I take my first bite.

"Something new?" I ask as I chew the big slice of pancake.

"I have an order for a birthday cake to fill today. They wanted it made out of pancakes and were insistent that it be gluten free." Was the detailed explanation.

"What's gluten?" I ask, washing the bite down with coffee.