Years ago, I wrote about some of my adventures with my little old neighbor man. I haven’t seen him in years, as I changed which route I take walking to the train station. However, there’s no shortage of little old men in my neighborhood.
I think my “relationship” with Little Old Neighbor Man II started almost a year ago. It started innocently enough. I was walking home from work one night and saw a little old man watering his flowers. I waved hello, and told him that his flowers were lovely.
As seems par for the course in my world, the story does not end there.
I may have seen this little old man additional times. I honestly don’t remember. I am generally listening to my music and hurrying to get home, and if I did see him I probably waved a quick hello and kept going.
This has changed.
Last week, I was walking along at my usual hurried pace when this little old man appeared in front of me, blocking my path on the sidewalk. I removed my headphones. He proceeded to chastise me, saying he sits on his porch and has been trying to say hello, but I am always “wired”.
Um, yeah. I tend to listen to my music. Rather loudly.
But I promised to pay more attention in the future.
I confess, I haven’t been really good about paying attention. I try. I often forget. I’m also not sure if I need to pay attention both on my way to the train, and on the way home… or just the way home.
I did see the little old man again last night. He was on his porch. He saw me. I saw him. I waved. This is obviously not going to suffice. Neighbor man is up off his bench and ready to chat. He asks my name, and tells me his… it’s Pat. Well, it’s not really Pat – it’s some long Italian name I did not catch, but he seems okay with being called Pat.
Pat wants to know if I have to hurry home to cook and clean. Well, I guess… but I explain that it’s “just me”. Pat seems very concerned that I am am not married. This is the second person to be very concerned about this recently. The first was a gym muffin… at the gym. I guess everyone in my neighborhood is concerned that I am not married?
Anyway, I am now trying to console Pat. I don’t know why. I don’t know why he’s concerned, nor do I know why I feel the need to console him that it is PERFECTLY OKAY that I am not married. I have backed off from it’s “just me” to telling Pat I have a cat. The fact that I have a cat does not seem to console Pat.
I told Pat I should go, as I wanted to hit the gym. Pat does not understand why I need to go to the gym when I walk to and from the train every day. Pat is more interested in my lack of a husband.
So, now I’m telling Pat I have a new friend and we went to the movies. Pat seems a little relieved. He wants to know if this man “treats me nice”. Yes, he is good to me and even bought me some fudge last weekend. Pat does not approve of this man buying me chocolate. Chocolate is bad. Now I’m trying to explain I only had a LITTLE chocolate.
Pat seems difficult to please.
But finally, Pat seems willing to let me go. He tells me “not to do what he wanted to do”. I was taken aback. He clarified he wanted to go inside and go to sleep. Oh, okay, yeah… I think I won’t do that. (I went to the gym.)
Pat saw me again tonight. He was on a ladder, on his porch, taking down Christmas lights and hanging a fake plant. He was concerned the plant did not look good. I thought it looked fine, but honestly I do not know anything about this stuff. Pat came down off his ladder, and his porch, and is concerned I may not have enough plants at my house. He is looking at his plants and telling me he could dig some up and bring them to my place. That’s REALLY not necessary. I will just kill them. Trust me on this. I told him I would rather he did all the work needed to keep the plants alive, and I would just enjoy them as I walked by.
Two young men walked by, and said hello to Pat. This seems to resurrect Pat’s concern over my lack of a husband. He said those were two nice men for me. Um… those are two REALLY YOUNG men, Pat. Are those guys even old enough to drink?
I appreciate the thought, really I do. But, I’m fine. I don’t feel I need a little old man neighbor matchmaker guy to help me.
I really just want to go back to waving hello and walking by (quickly).
I am thinking this may never happen.
I am wondering if I will have to change the route I take to the train… again.
Life of the Lintee Bean 