To Love Thy Neighbour

by S M Mala

  ‘Hence the quick one with me.’ Esme bit her lip. ‘I think I’ve been burnt twice by him.’ Esme refilled their wine glasses. ‘I fancy him but more confusing, I like him. That’s the problem. I know he doesn’t feel the same way and-.’

  ‘Pardon me. I’ll interrupt. He’s forever popping over and so is his child. Even I can tell he likes you when he’s queuing up for free coffee.’

  ‘‘Free coffee’ is the key thing in that sentence.’

  ‘And you had sex while a ceiling was collapsing.’

  ‘It collapsed.’

  ‘Then you get in a strop over a wank comment, which he told you was a compliment. And as for the babies? Why on earth get upset about that? You don’t want one now, do you?’

  ‘No, I don’t but…’ Esme scowled. ‘I don’t want reminding that I have no choice, do I?’

  Alicia started to smile before laughing her head off.

  ‘You like him, don’t you? This young man with a child. A cougar always-.’

  ‘I hate that expression,’ Esme said, shaking her head. ‘I didn’t go on the prowl to shag a younger man. I’m exceptionally happy I did, but I don’t think he is.’

  ‘Exceptionally happy?’

  ‘It was good,’ she said, sinking into her chair. ‘Very good and he was good.’

  ‘Let me say the next bit ‘good’.’ Alicia laughed out some more. ‘Your theory is that he fled the country to get away from you. You must have left a long lasting impression.’

  ‘I got the impression from what he said last night, I could have been a mistake and that he wants to stick with Melanie.’ Biting her lip, she couldn’t hold on. ‘That young woman is a bitch and a half.’

  ‘I know, you told me what she said.’

  ‘I don’t regret throwing that Pavlova and it hitting her.’

  ‘Are you jealous?’ Alicia exclaimed loudly. ‘You are, aren’t you? You hear him banging against your wall, and now you know he banged an older woman. I know you so well. You’re bloody jealous.’

  ‘Crisps?’

  Esme stood up and walked towards the kitchen cupboard, pulling out a large packet then noticed the lollipops she had stored for Mali.

  ‘If he doesn’t want me to be close to Mali then that means he doesn’t want me to get close to him,’ she said quietly, touching one of the sweets. ‘I think I’ve learned my lesson and will keep myself to myself from now on.’

  ‘The problem is, my love, you’ve been doing that. Fancy going out on a date with Luigi?’

  ‘Pardon?’

  ‘Come on. Could be an evening in the company of someone over the age of forty might make you see there is someone for you, out there,’ grinned Alicia mischievously. ‘And I heard he’s got a massive one! What have you got to lose?’

  ‘The feelings in my vagina!’ she laughed before realising she lost what she wanted, before getting the chance to get hold of it.

  Leon had simply slipped through her grasp.

  Or her thighs, if she was blatantly honest.

  ‘What’s that?’

  Mali was pointing to her paella and pulling a face. ‘I not like it.’

  They were sat at a restaurant by the sea having lunch. They had been in Spain for five days. The last time he had been at the apartment, Bennylita was pregnant.

  That week had been a nightmare, and so had she.

  ‘It’s very tasty,’ he said, looking at the small clams in their shells. Mali shook her head from side to side. ‘Don’t you want to try?’

  ‘Yuk!’

  ‘How do you know if you don’t try?’

  ‘I know.’

  Leon spent the next five minutes picking through the rice and taking out the bits his child refused to eat. It seemed she liked chicken, prawns and peas, as well as rice. The mussels, clams and calamari were piled onto his plate.

  He looked over at the waves splashing against the sand with people sunbathing. It was quite warm but not too hot. Mali had gone a beautiful golden brown and freckles appeared on her nose. They’d had a lovely time, but the only thing he could do was think about Esme.

  Every evening he wanted to send her a text but decided against it.

  It was how he left it between them made him worry. It looked like he was getting at her when all he wanted to do was say ‘thank you’.

  Esme had protected Mali.

  That was the bottom line, but he knew he was angry at the time.

  Spending a few days with his daughter made him realise she was okay, not badly physically, or mentally scarred. She did have a habit of scowling when people ate beans at breakfast or holding onto her hair when walking past hairdressers. Mali’s fringe needed to be cut, and she knew Esme’s friend was supposed to do it.

  His plan was to get home and speak to Esme, to arrange to get it trimmed then apologise.

  Leon realised he was clutching at straws but the previous week was so surreal, even he couldn’t figure out what happened.

  When he went to bed, he remembered exactly what went on between them in the cloud of dust and rubble.

  ‘Daddy, can I ask you a question? I not be rude,’ Mali said, eating her paella. ‘That bad girl not be at our house again, will she?’

  That was the next thing he would have to sort out, as well as to grovel to Graham about leaving him and the others at short notice.

  Melanie had texted him a couple of times every day. There was no remorse as she felt she did no wrong. The accusation was based at Esme making something out of nothing and being both physically and verbally abusive. As well as Mali playing up.

  Leon would have to speak to Ralph for an impartial overview. Then again, after what Esme did to him at his party, it might not be fair.

  He knew Mali and Esme were telling the truth. The marks on the kid’s skin convinced him of that.

  ‘Daddy, will she?’ persisted Mali. ‘I not want to live there if she is. I will live with Nana or Esme.’ It’s how she firmly said it, as if there was no negotiation. ‘Not like her. Horrid!’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, stroking her hair. ‘I never meant for you to get hurt.’

  ‘And we say ‘thank you’ to Esme for being kind and nice and making me curry and rice and sweetcorn.’

  That’s when it hit him.

  He needed to thank her.

  Leon squirmed and suddenly lost his appetite. Just then, he noticed a woman from the side and looked over.

  It was horrific, the feeling in his gut.

  Bennylita was staring longingly over at Mali.

  He then held eye contact with her, feeling totally confused, and automatically touched Mali to protect her.

  The woman scowled at him, surprised she had been caught, before fleeing.

  Suddenly all his woes disappeared, as the biggest one of all was within close proximity to him and his daughter.

  ‘Thank you.’

  Esme stood at her door after Luigi walked her home late on Thursday evening.

  Within minutes of meeting on the blind date, both confessed they were doing it to keep their friends happy. Alberto had sold Esme as a brilliant entrepreneur. Esme lied about how Alicia sold him, regarding the size of his cock, but said she was told he was a wonderful guy.

  ‘What shall we tell them?’ he asked, smiling. He wasn’t that tall and had dark hair, courtesy of some men’s preventative grey liquid. Overall Luigi was a nice looking man and good company. ‘We didn’t hit it off?’

  ‘That’s not true. Tell Alberto I tried to snog you, and he’d recoil in horror.’

  ‘I’ll bid you goodnight.’

  He moved forward and kissed her on the cheek. Esme watched him walk away.

  She had a pleasant evening and felt a little pissed.

  Walking in and locking her door, Esme sat on the stairs and removed her shoes.

  It had been a week since she had seen Leon, and for seven days she festered on her annoyance. Over that time, she prepared a speech on what to say to him, and how he made her feel. She would also point out it
was pretty blatant that he used her for a quick one. And was rather ungrateful regarding her helping out Mali on two separate occasions.

  But she missed him, and that was the real bummer.

  Putting the kettle on, she made a cup of tea and decided to sit on her patio before she went to bed.

  It was a lovely night, and she had the whole weekend ahead of her to do nothing.

  Closing her eyes, she felt relaxed.

  ‘Who was that?’

  She nearly fell off her chair hearing Leon’s voice, only managing to stop herself by holding onto the table. Esme turned, and he was standing at the bottom of her garden.

  ‘You’re back,’ she said quite sharply, feeling her heart thunder in her chest from the shock and pure anger. ‘It’s late. You should go back in.’

  Esme realised he was walking towards her, and she didn’t want to look at him.

  ‘Yes, we’re back. We had a lovely break,’ he said. She sipped her tea, looking at the opposite fence. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Fine thanks,’ she said dismissively. ‘Look, it’s late and I’ve got to go to bed.’

  He wasn’t listening as he sat down on the chair opposite.

  Esme glanced at him.

  Leon tanned well and looked the most healthiest she had ever seen him. His green eyes seemed more translucent due to his darker skin colour.

  The only thing she felt was annoyance as he was such an ungrateful, rude, bastard.

  ‘Were you on a date?’ he asked gently, sitting back on the two legs of the chair.

  Finishing her drink, she stood up and looked down at him.

  ‘I think you made it perfectly clear what you thought about me before you left,’ she quietly replied. ‘I’ll keep away, and I think we should discuss putting a bolt on the gate, okay.’

  ‘I was upset, Esme. I let my child down.’

  ‘By leaving her with someone like me, who is grooming her into goodness knows what.’

  ‘That’s not-.’

  ‘Go away Leon and leave me alone.’ Esme looked away because she didn’t want to make eye contact; it’s not what she felt. ‘You got some fun out of this old bird, including giving me a stuffing, and occasional babysitting for Mali. Well done! I was trying to be neighbourly, but you’ve only reinforced the fact I should keep myself to myself. Can you let Mali know you don’t want her to come and visit me.’

  Not bothering to hear what he had to say, Esme walked into her house and locked the doors, walking all the way to her bedroom. She sat on the bed and wanted to cry because she didn’t want to exclude Mali in this. It wasn’t her fault. There was no doubting it; she had every right to tell him where to get off.

  He had made her feel bad on many levels, and she wasn’t prepared to go through that again.

  Esme had truly learnt her lesson when it came to being a good neighbour and friend.

  People just wanted to use her, in whichever way they thought fit.

  And it hurt.

  ‘I’m fine.’

  He wasn’t.

  Leon was completely devastated by Esme’s comments the night before and realised he had left it a little too late to thank her for everything.

  And he wanted to know who the man was.

  ‘Didn’t you sleep well?’ his father asked when Leon dropped Mali to spend the day and night with her grandparents. ‘What’s upsetting you?’

  They were standing by his van on Friday morning before he headed off for a job.

  ‘I’ll come and pick her up tomorrow.’ Leon didn’t want to talk about it. ‘She’s very happy at the moment.’

  ‘Leon?’ his father asked.

  ‘I’ve got things to sort out and, I don’t know. I swore I saw Ben when we were away,’ he whispered, shaking his head. ‘She was standing so close.’

  ‘You’re joking!’

  ‘I don’t know but I want to know where she is.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because it made me feel uneasy,’ he honestly replied as Stan frowned. ‘I don’t want her to think she has rights over Mali.’

  Taking Leon by the arm, his father walked him a little away from the house.

  ‘This is because Mali got slapped, you know it is,’ his father said anxiously. ‘And I know you were pretty distressed. It’s all right now. Your mother can see the error of her ways and has boycotted the hairdressers. That’s going to save me a bob or two because it costs a fortune!’

  Leon shook his head and wanted Esme to hold him in her arms like she did the day Melanie slapped Mali.

  ‘I better go,’ Leon said, walking back to his van. ‘Tell her to call me if she wants a chat, even about Peppa Pig.’

  ‘Will do!’

  He drove off and went to some appointments before heading to the large house.

  It was a hive of activity, and he walked in then stopped to look at where he made love to Esme.

  He noticed the ceiling had been newly plastered.

  Tracy and Shona were working away then he walked into the garden. It was pretty much finished.

  ‘So you decided to come back?’ Graham grabbed him and gave him a hug. ‘Why so miserable? You’ve had a week away in the sun.’

  ‘You don’t want to know.’

  By lunchtime, Graham knew everything and sat in the café, looking shell-shocked.

  ‘Are you sure it was Bennylita?’ he asked quietly, squeezing Leon’s arm.

  ‘I’d know her face anywhere, and she saw me,’ he replied, shaking his head from side to side. ‘What’s she doing there?’ Letting out a loud groan, he buried his head in his hands. ‘Thank God Mali didn’t see her.’

  ‘But she must have seen Mali.’ Graham cleared his throat. ‘You still have her email address, and I can guess, her solicitor knows where she is. Your parents did it all legally to keep her away. There’s an agreement that can’t be broken. If she wanted to do something, then she would have done it.’

  ‘It’s the way she looked at Mali like she was the most wonderful thing she had ever seen.’

  ‘She doesn’t know where you live. The woman can’t do anything.’

  ‘Ben has been emailing me.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Over the past year, there have been emails but I never read them; never bothered to reply. There’s no point.’

  ‘Leon,’ said Graham, looking shocked. ‘What does she want?’

  ‘My daughter, from the look on her face. Shit! Everything’s just going wrong!

  ‘And Esme? You don’t seem to be doing a good job with her.’

  Leon drank his tea and looked out the window watching the stream of people walk past.

  ‘Melanie? Have you spoken to her?’

  He wasn’t listening.

  His mind was full of fear about Bennylita; yearning for his next door neighbour and dread about the hairdresser.

  ‘You know what I tell the kids when they’ve got a few problems?’ said Graham with a grin. ‘I tell them to confront each one, sort it out and move on. I think you should do the same thing.’

  ‘Esme went out on a date last night,’ mumbled Leon, staring at his mug. ‘This Italian man.’

  ‘Well, you’ve not made a perfect impression on her, have you? Getting a quick one in, saying the wrong thing, and then practically accusing her of being a paedophile. I reckon she’s got the impression you don’t like her. If you did that to me, I’d be gutted, mate.’ Starting to laugh, Graham finished his coke. ‘What is it with you? I think it’s a self-destruct button. The women you’re not sure about, you treat like princesses and the ones you really like; there’s a habit of you continually putting your foot in it.’

  ‘You think I did that with Bennylita? Put my foot in it?’

  ‘No, you treated her like a princess and she treated you like shit.’

  ‘Hold on a moment.’

  She was on the phone to Alicia but could hear raised voices next door. ‘I better go. I hope that mad bitch isn’t being horrible to Mali. I’ll break her neck if she is!’


  ‘Don’t get involved! You told him what’s what last night. And talking about last night, what did you think of Luigi?’

  ‘Italian stallion, very nice and not my type.’

  ‘You mean he’s not under the age of twenty-five.’

  ‘Leave me alone,’ she laughed but heard the female voice getting louder, knowing it was Melanie. ‘Look, something’s not right. I have to go.’

  Putting her mobile phone down she looked out towards her garden and was horrified to see Melanie storming towards her home. Had she been quick enough, Esme would have shut the door and hid behind the sofa.

  ‘And you!’ the near-hysterical woman screamed at her, marching at full speed. ‘You lied about what happened with Mali!’

  ‘Don’t come into my house, you’re not invited,’ Esme sharply said, taking a sip of wine and staring at the woman who stopped at the large doors. ‘I think you should calm down.’

  ‘Why should I?’ she shouted. ‘You attacked me then were abusive!’

  ‘Report me to the police and then I can tell them what you did. I took pictures and have a witness,’ she replied, knowing she would never do that as Leon would get into trouble. Plus Ralph probably wouldn’t vouch for her. ‘Take your quarrel next door and please leave my garden.’

  Leon walked through the gate and looked pissed off.

  Esme glanced away knowing to see him in daylight, all tanned and gorgeous, would throw her.

  It was understandable why Melanie would be upset.

  He looked shit hot though slightly dishevelled.

  ‘Can you come back in?’ he gently asked Melanie, who looked like she was going to attack one of them, any given moment.

  ‘Could you kindly take your girlfriend away?’ Esme said, walking to her kitchen sink and putting her glass down. ‘I don’t think there’s anything we need to discuss.’

  Even she knew the tone of her voice was distant and cold, but she would heed Alicia’s warning.

  She would keep out of the way.

  ‘I think you have issues!’ Melanie said quite loudly, shaking her head furiously. ‘You want to cause a wedge between me and Leon because you have some fascination over the child. Is it because your son is bent, you’re looking for the next best thing? He’ll never give you grandchildren.’