When it comes to neighbors I have seen them all, at least I think I have, from the ones that always come past the time for locking the security entrance to the carefree neighbors that doesn’t contribute to both the problems or the solution to the problems in the compound, the I only mind my business and then that one neighbor that loves to play loud music which I think I’m a part of, but I would never do that at night when the rest are relaxing, I think it comes with staying in a student populated area, then the cherry on top is living in a face -me- I --face -you apartment.
If you are not familiar with such apartment I can describe the apartment for you with two words “ No Privacy” well it has its advantages though like its affordability and most especially convenient location but for me it gives space to have cordial relationships with your neighbors, when it comes to what I find as a disadvantage is the lack of privacy, you cant cook without your neighbors knowing exactly what you’re preparing, you cannot package and fry only onions for someone to think its chicken 😂 , you can even be cooking and someone inside would be guessing the meal and the ingredient used in preparing it just from the aroma, you see this particular one leave am for me I’m guilty as charged 🤭 .
I mentioned cordiality right, let me tell you a little story why being cordial with your neighbors can go a long way, my mom once told me while leaving home for school, she said try to be cordial with your neighbors as where your family is far from you the closest person to you is your neighbor and in time of emergencies they will be the first responders, a simple good morning and a warm welcome can go a long way. I thank God I took that advice as I probably won’t be sharing my experience right now if not for my good neighbors.
So there was this set of neighbors I had, they all had their flaws because who doesn’t but we all had one thing in common, mutual respects and love for each other, I was so sick a certain time a serious typhoid had struck me down the previous night that I couldn’t stand up the following morning which was a Saturday morning, Saturday mornings were usually busy as it was the day most of us had chance to clean up, wash clothes and prepare for another busy week. I could hear the busy atmosphere but was just too weak to call out on anybody talk more of standing up, not until my next-door neighbor Henry asked others if they had set their eyes on me, they said no and suggested I had gone out or travelled.
Henry knowing my routines noticed the pair of slippers I usually take in when I’m going out, secondly, I always tell at least one person especially henry if I was going to a long distance. after observing all this he knocked on my door and I tried to reply with my faint voice, it was so light I didn’t think anyone could hear me but he went through the back where my window was located and peeped through and there, I was looking so pale and sweating like a chicken in the middle of December. Long story short Henry alerted everyone, they forced their way in and rushed me to the hospital, till this day I’m very grateful for those set of neighbors and wouldn’t forget them in a hurry.
Most times I sit back and wonder what if I never had that sort of relationship with my neighbors that made them go to that extreme of finding out my where about, I could have died and the only thing that would make them curious would have been the fowl smell of my decomposing corpse.
Thank you for reading!!
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My entry for HiveNaija weekly prompt
📝 My Next-door Neighbor/Neighborhood: Tell us something interesting about your neighborhood whether good, bad or manageable. It could be a neighbour you like/dislike for a behavior or a particular situation of your neighborhood.
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