End & Next Arrival
Dear Diary,
Overgrown yellow grass, which once was green.
The house once belonged to an elderly couple who gardened, sold it to another couple, who traded up, and then sold to another young couple.
Two children, a 1 yr old. Mom worked days, Dad worked nights, Dad was home as Mr. Mom. He used to play basketball in the driveway with the kids. Admirable, getting drinks for the neighbors, friendly, he was so excited when he got his new BBQ, the smell coming into the neighboring house, inviting others over to enjoy, sitting in a chair, chit chatting, waiting for his wife to return home.
Trimming back all the bushes, he once used to do landscaping, he made the yard and plants look great, so much so that the neighbors on the other side began to clean up and pay more care to their yard too.
They never had a home of their own, always renting with family members, now they had their space to be a family, their son meets another on his first day there and they become best friends, the other boy standing on the curb each day seeing if hes coming home yet.
A year later….
The grass is yellow and overgrown, he quits his job, she says its to be home so they have more time together.
She tells me he feeds the kids corn dogs all day, after she commutes and comes home and still prepares a meal and leftovers.
The daughter running around in a diaper with messy hair, the son walking outside saying his dad didnt wake up to take him to school, the yard unkept. Dad inside playing video games on his computer.
No more chairs in the driveway waiting for his wife. No BBqs.
Now they are gone, the yellow overgrown lawn, she did the lawn the last time, apologized to me that she could not do it again cause he sold the mower without telling her.
She has lost weight, each time she says she cannot wait to be done with this “Neadrathal” and that she can do better. And that she wants to throw a party when this is over.
He walks around moping, depressed, saying he doesnt know what she wants.
The moving truck pulls up, the neighbor best friend playmate yells “NOOOOOOO” and tells his Mom “Can we adopt him as our brother?”
Trash sits out, bills not paid, on the curb, the big ravens begin to peck through it, baby diapers, trash, hair clippings from someones hair cut all scatter on the driveway.
The windows in the front have been cranked and left open. The brand new AC system was not working that was just put in by relatives, he messed with, she said they didnt know how to fix it and couldnt afford it.
Sparkletts bottles stacked at the front door for pickup.
A huge dumpster, just full of things that are not trash, but the poorer neighborhood children dig through to take home to their families.
The house is quiet, the sign sits out front, the one trash can still at the curb unemptied, the yellow grass still, the front bathroom window cranked open. No more kids running around with toy guns and back and forth from houses talking about video games.
Divorce sucks,
Having good neighbors is a blessing.
Waiting to see the next arrival.