The Grumpy Old Lady

The Grumpy Old Lady

I was weeding the garden inside my front fence. I don’t do it enough because it’s out in public. People walking by seem to think it’s perfectly acceptable to stop and chit-chat, as if I had my whole life to finish the job! Well, I do really, but still...

So far I had managed to miss any chatters, then suddenly I heard a voice. “What are you doing?”

I glanced up in fear, praying it wasn’t George Higgins. He’s been trying to start something for years, but it’s because my property is attached to the pond. He has a boat but has to haul it over every time.

It not only wasn’t George, it wasn’t anyone. I stood up, confused. I knew I’d heard something! And there it was... a small child.

“Hello?” I said, he seemed too young to be out on his own, well to me anyway. “Where did you come from?”

“My Mommy’s tummy,” he said, matter of factly. “I know where you live.”

The entire conversation was throwing me off, but I decided to skip the Mum’s tummy part, it was a different generation after all... “Where do you think I live?” I asked.

“In that house,” he pointed to the house behind me.

“You’re right! Where do you live?” I asked, in case I had to call the police about a missing child.

“We just moved over there,” he pointed to the Watermann’s old house. Suddenly a call came from a woman there.

“Jeff! Get over here this instant!”

“I bet your name is Jeff,” I said.

“I’ll be back!” he said, running off.

As I watched him go, I found myself smiling, suddenly hoping he would be back. I decided, right then and there, I’d been a grumpy old lady for way too long.