To Love Thy Neighbour

by S M Mala

  Then she remembered why.

  ‘Am I that desperate?’ she mumbled to herself.

  ‘What did you say?’ he asked, leaning closer and looking into her eyes.

  He was packaged so well, when he kept his mouth shut, but she couldn’t contemplate a physical relationship.

  ‘You’re a dreamer. And at your age that should change,’ he said, stroking her face.

  ‘And then you open your mouth,’ Esme laughed, getting up and walking towards the fence.

  ‘I’d like to open you and see what lies beneath.’

  ‘Erm,’ was all she could reply.

  ‘You know it’s inevitable, you and me. The barista and the barrister,’ he said. His confidence overwhelmed her as she looked at his smug expression. ‘Come on Esme, don’t tell me you’ve not considered it.’

  ‘Certainly haven’t.’

  Then she heard someone quietly laugh which then abruptly stopped.

  ‘What are you doing, daddy?’ Mali whispered, and she realised her new neighbour was listening.

  ‘Shoosh,’ Leon replied.

  ‘Ralph, we didn’t start off on the right foot when we first met. Sometimes I think you make assumptions about me that are incorrect,’ she said, hearing some shuffling and mumbling on the other side of the fence. ‘I like your company when you’re not looking down your nose at me and everything around you.’

  ‘I think you’re the one that’s the snob, not me.’

  ‘Why can’t I go?’ Mali said loudly.

  ‘Don’t”!’ Leon replied and within seconds the gate was flung open, and Mali came skipping in, wearing a jacket and wellington boots.

  ‘You need to get that locked,’ frowned Ralph before looking closely at the child. ‘She’s the gardener’s daughter?’

  ‘Yes, another little dark-faced cherub to blot the landscape,’ hissed Esme, watching Mali skip up to her. The child stopped and frowned at Ralph. ‘Hello Mali.’

  ‘Hello,’ she replied and coyly stood near Esme. ‘Who is he?’

  ‘He lives in the big house across the road and is rather important, so he tells me.’

  ‘Okay,’ she said lightly.

  Esme looked up and noticed Leon was walking into the garden.

  ‘Sorry Esme. Mali can you come back here, please?’ her father asked quietly.

  He was wearing jean shorts, a t-shirt plus an old cardigan, looking pretty attractive. Then she wondered how long it would be before Ralph found out he was gay, and bar him from working on his over-sized garden. She smiled to herself.

  ‘Do you want a drink?’ she asked, trying not to look too pleadingly at Leon to stay.

  ‘That would be lovely!’ he cheerfully said, walking up to them. ‘You don’t mind, do you?’

  ‘I’m going soon. Got a dinner date,’ Ralph replied, standing up and shaking his hand.

  She noticed Ralph check out Leon then glance at her, a feint grimace coming to his lips.

  ‘You mustn’t be late,’ laughed Esme, walking into the house to grab a glass and some ice. ‘Would gin and tonic be okay, Leon? I’ve got some bottled beer or wine. And Mali, would you like a drink?’

  ‘Orange squash, please,’ she sweetly replied, making Esme grin.

  Fixing the drinks, she noticed the men were speaking, and then Ralph laughed. Leon glanced over at her, and she smiled in response. Mali was too busy running in and out of the wild flowers to care.

  Going back out, she handed the drink to Leon before seeing what Mali was up to.

  ‘So my child, why did you get into trouble?’ she asked, bending down and handing her the plastic cup. ‘If you say people were horrible, what was it about?’

  ‘They tease me and call me names,’ she said, taking a massive gulp of juice. ‘And they say my daddy, not my daddy and I not got a mummy.’

  ‘Ah!’ Esme leant down and remembered when Alfie went through the same thing. ‘Children are cruel and it’s hard to ignore. I know it hurts, but he is your daddy. You look like him.’

  ‘But I brown and they say he is white so not my daddy.’

  ‘Don’t they have white mummies and brown children?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Does that mean those mummies aren’t their real mummies?’ Mali nodded then shook her head from side to side. ‘And my son didn’t have his daddy around when he was little, and it was tough. But we worked it out. I told him that if any child hit him just tell them I’d punch their parents.’

  Mali started to laugh loudly, spilling her drink as Esme took it out of her hand.

  ‘I’m going, Esme!’ Ralph shouted out.

  ‘Thank goodness!’ she whispered, making Mali laugh again. ‘He can be quite a bore sometimes.’

  Standing up, she escorted him out towards the front door but as she was reaching for the handle, he turned and kissed her hard on the lips.

  Esme immediately stepped back.

  ‘Don’t go flirting with the gardener. I know what you working class lot are like. Shagging like bunnies to keep you entertained.’ he said, before smirking then walking out.

  ‘What a fucker!’ she said quietly, shaking her head furiously.

  Without realising what she was doing, Esme started wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

  That’s when she noticed Leon was watching before smiling to himself.

  ‘Can I give Mali a cake?’ she asked, going to the sink and getting a quick glass of water.

  ‘Mali, would you like cake?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes please,’ she replied, running to the house as Esme handed her one. ‘Thank you.’

  Mali skipped off to the other end of her small garden, sitting on the bench by the shed.

  ‘Please sit,’ she said to Leon, who was grinning at his daughter stuffing the cake into her mouth.

  Taking her usual seat, she watched him sit down slowly.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking,’ he said gently, clearing his voice. ‘Are you and Ralph seeing each other?’

  ‘No way!’ she replied, a little too loudly watching him smile. ‘He’s a neighbour. Lately, we’ve gone out for drinks and dinner, nothing more. Don’t fear, I won’t try and coerce you for a drink.’ Esme noticed Mali was shaking her legs. ‘She’s gorgeous.’

  ‘She is a beauty but also a handful. Today she told the other children their mothers would run off, and her mother was burnt at the stake as she was a witch.’

  Esme laughed out hard at the comment making Leon join in. Mali flicked them a confused glance before running around the garden.

  ‘I know someone who works at the school,’ she said, not wanting to mention Alfie. ‘They have nice teachers and I’m sure they’ll support Mali.’

  ‘Yeah, well some of the teachers look like models.’

  Immediately she knew he was talking about her son and decided not to say anything.

  ‘Where’s her mum? Do you mind me asking?’ Esme asked, wanting to change the subject.

  ‘She hasn’t got one,’ he said, taking a sip of his drink. ‘Just me.’

  Not wanting to cross the line, Esme knew she shouldn’t ask but was intrigued.

  It could be that her own son might want to start a family, making the woman obsolete as soon as the deed was done.

  ‘I separated with Ben soon after Mali was born. It wasn’t a good time for anyone,’ he said, looking pained. ‘Mali knows there’s just me.’

  ‘That’s all I need to know,’ she said, feeling sorry for him.

  Leon’s boyfriend walked out and left him in the lurch. She shook her head sadly.

  ‘I find that, sometimes, people aren’t who you think they are, if you get my drift. We build our hopes up only to find that you end up with such disappointment,’ she said, thinking about Oscar and another relationship. ‘They say it’s about experience and life, but it still hurts.’

  ‘Aren’t you seeing anyone?’

  ‘No, it’s been very difficult for me.’ Biting her lip, she didn’t know if it was the right moment to say. �
�My son realised he was gay when exceptionally young, and his father was away travelling, in America. Too many things happened, and since then I have spent most of my life protecting my child.’

  ‘You split from your husband?’ he asked, looking genuinely interested. ‘Ah, that explains the secateurs comment.’

  ‘My husband’s reaction wasn’t that liberal at all. It was all a front. And because of my son’s homosexuality, I also had to be wary of any man I met. Some people are bigots, and I would never let my child be put in a vulnerable situation.’

  A flash of something that happened when Archie was thirteen came into her head, instantly wanting to make her cry.

  ‘And men tell you one thing and mean the other,’ she continued, shaking that constant fear that had stayed with her since then. ‘Now he’s a strapping, wonderful young man and no longer needs my assistance though he has shit taste in men. I went wrong somewhere.’

  ‘And your ex? Does he stay in touch?’

  Esme felt her cheeks go red, thinking it must be the gin.

  ‘Alfie has limited contact with his father and there’s nothing I can do. And, to be honest, I don’t want to do anything. Oscar let him down as well as his mum, my ex-mother-in-law.’ Esme looked straight into his beautiful green eyes and jolted. He was staring. ‘Thank you for rescuing me from Ralph.’

  Leon started to laugh, sipping his drink.

  ‘That’s okay. I heard his lines. They were something else.’

  ‘He thinks I’m desperate.’

  ‘Are you?’

  ‘I gave up a long time ago when it came to relationships, and I’m happy on my own,’ she lied, hiding her scowl. ‘I shall be here, single, for as long as you live next door. Which is handy if you ever want some babysitting. Or keeping an eye when she brings home unsuitable boyfriends.’

  ‘No way is a boy taking her out,’ he said, looking at his angelic child trying to stamp on ants. ‘Not until she’s forty.’

  ‘I said the same about my son but they end up doing a whole host of things behind your back.’ Esme looked at Leon, who was adoringly watching his child. ‘Have you found being a single parent hard?’

  ‘My mother and dad help out. They love Mali, but I moved west because everyone was wonderful, but I didn’t seem to have control. You know what it’s like. People being helpful to the point of interfering.’

  ‘My mum passed away not too long ago but Steph, Alfie’s grandmother, is on hand to help. They often go out on the town together leaving me at home. He has more fun with her because I, allegedly, vet for unsuitable men. Alfie said he’d end up being a monk if it had anything to do with me. Too bloody right!’

  They sat in the garden, chatting for an hour while watching Mali play. It was when she was running about and let out a loud yawn, Leon decided the pair better head off home.

  Again, Esme was sat in her garden, alone, and thought she had a nice time with Leon. He was gay, and she could be herself. There were no mixed messages, and it was like having Alfie around.

  The only niggling thing she couldn’t really understand was that she found him very attractive, even now knowing he was homosexual.

  Usually, she would accept defeat and see the man as a friend but with Leon, it was very different.

  ‘Bloody old age,’ she mumbled to herself, knowing that was probably down to wanting to recapture her youth.

  And what better way than to lust after a thirty-something, gay man, who happened to be her next door neighbour.

  ‘Of course. Not a problem.’

  Leon had received a call from Esme a few weeks later. She was working on a house and the electrics had blown. Luckily he was ahead with his current gardening job and could leave Graham to handle the rest.

  Getting in his van, he headed for Hammersmith Grove and parked in the heavy tree lined road, seeing the house. There was a tubby woman with a ponytail stuck in the middle of her head. She was putting together a roll-up cigarette then did a double take.

  ‘Ah, ‘Shoots and Leaves’? Isn’t that a bit odd for an electrician?’ she said, openly eyeing him up. ‘You’re Leon. I’m Tracy.’ Putting out her hand, he shook it. ‘Madam’s in there, fretting we’re all going to die.’

  He smiled and walked through, glancing over his shoulder and seeing her examine his backside then grin.

  ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I didn’t know who else to call. The fuse box blew, and all the electrics went. The owner’s out of the country. I called them, and they said they’d pay to get it sorted plus the project manager is on his way. Probably from the pub.’

  Esme rubbed her face, and he examined her properly. She was wearing large white overalls, and there was paint on her face while her hair was messily put up. He smiled at her frown.

  ‘I’m sure it’s fine. These old places sometimes have little things that go askew.’

  ‘But it has been newly wired,’ she said, looking at the cupboard where the fuse box was. ‘It always makes me worried when they want to do something cheaply, and get people who aren’t even qualified, then we have to go in and die of electric shocks.’

  ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.’

  ‘What about Mali? Don’t you need to-.’

  ‘Calm,’ he said, seeing she was breaking out into a little sweat. ‘Let’s see what this is all about and I’ll get back to you.’

  ‘Sure,’ she said, taking her clip out and shaking her hair loose.

  Right then, he thought she looked edible and glanced away when she caught his eye.

  ‘I know,’ she said, looking flushed. ‘My roots are showing. I have to get the dye bottle out soon. Signs of getting old.’

  ‘I think it looks good,’ he honestly replied and she gave him that smile, the sympathetic one. ‘Let me sort this out.’

  Focussing on the task in hand, he looked at the fuse box and figured it hadn’t been installed properly, let alone the work signed off. It took him forty minutes to spot a long list of what hadn’t been done.

  When he went to see Esme, she was up on a ladder, removing paper from a high ceiling.

  ‘Hello gorgeous. How can we help?’ Tracy asked, stripping wallpaper.

  Esme stopped what she was doing and smiled.

  Leon grinned back before remembering what he had to say.

  ‘I’ve made a list on my phone, and I can email it to the owner, or to you,’ he said, scrolling down. ‘Some of the wiring has to be re-done and I’d highly recommend you didn’t touch any electrical items.’

  Right then, Esme was pulling off wallpaper by a light fitting. She looked up and shuddered.

  ‘The project manager, Carl, is on his way. Tell him what needs to be done. It’s his nephew that did the work,’ said Tracy, walking up to Leon. He noticed Esme frown. ‘In the meantime, we can hang out.’

  ‘He can’t hang out as he has a child to pick up from school. Email or text the information and I’ll speak to Carl.’ He watched Esme shake her head at Tracy. ‘Go on! Leave me on my own, again.’

  ‘I have a child to look after,’ Tracy replied, looking pleased as punch.

  ‘He’s sixteen.’

  ‘Child, nevertheless. Can I tempt you to come for a drink?’ she asked Esme, who Leon noticed was looking at the ceiling.

  ‘Thank you Leon for coming at short notice.’

  ‘I’ll know you’re really thankful if you put in a good word about me doing the job.’

  ‘I will!’ said Tracy, rubbing her hands together. ‘It’s rare we get a handsome young man on site. They’re usually middle aged with a hairy builder’s butt cracks. And that’s just their faces!’

  He heard Esme laughing at the top of the ladder.

  ‘What’s so funny?’ A tall woman with straight blonde hair and rather large teeth walked in. From the sound of her voice, she was as posh as Ralph. She stared at Leon before looking up at Esme. ‘What’s happened?’

  He noticed she was holding a drill case as Tracy started to laugh.

  ‘The electrics have
gone and it’s not safe to work. You won’t be able to drill anything unless you’ve got a hand drill,’ Esme gently said, and the woman rolled her eyes. ‘I know Shona, it’s a pisser. On the upside, you get to leave an hour early, and you get paid. Tracy wants to go to the pub.’

  ‘Well, that’s good then. Down tools and we’re out.’ Shona smiled at Leon. ‘And you are?’

  ‘My neighbour who is a landscape gardener and an electrician. I called Leon because I didn’t know who else to speak to.’

  ‘I can understand why,’ the woman said with a large smile. ‘I’m Shona, one of the merry women in the team of ‘Handy Mommas’. Good to meet you.’ Her hand shake was very firm. ‘The boss mentioned you were a single parent. For this reason you are welcome on our team, as well as gay men.’

  ‘Shona,’ Esme said firmly and the tall woman blushed. ‘Too much information.’

  ‘And transsexuals,’ added Tracy. ‘But you’re too pretty to be one of those. Right, I’m off.’ She flung on her rucksack and headed off to the door. ‘Come on Shona, we’re wasting valuable drinking time. Nice to meet you, Leon.’

  She then marched out, followed by Shona, who seemed to give Esme a knowing glance before disappearing.

  ‘A couple of the many mental women I work with,’ Esme said quietly, looking down. ‘Considering I’m the shortest, none of my ladies can stand heights. Hence, I’m up here.’

  ‘How many people work for you?’

  ‘A team of six and quite a few contractors.’

  ‘Do you get much work?’

  ‘Surprisingly, we do.’

  She turned and walked down the ladder, all the time Leon watching her backside. He was sorely tempted to grab her around the waist and lift her down, but held fire.

  ‘How’s Ralph’s garden? Has he given you the job? I’m sure there a few dead bodies buried there, probably clients who didn’t pay him,’ she laughed. ‘Has he instructed you to turn it into Kew Gardens?’

  ‘I don’t think he cares for gardening much. He wants something that looks good, those were his words. Doesn’t matter how much it costs. I showed him a plan of the garden; choice of flowers, shrubs and trees. He nodded saying he’ll get back to me.’ Leon smiled, before looking down at Esme. ‘Do you know what you’re doing in your garden?’