Bruce and I moved into our house as young newly weds in 1979. Back then all the neighbours were friendly and introduced themselves to us. We were the youngest in the street as a couple as all the other families had teenagers. Our part of the street is like a court so we look out on several neighbours.
One of the families that we met were Bill and Alice. Its funny for years we thought Alice introduced herself to us as Joyce Cochrane. It wasn't until another young neighbour returned to our court and called her Alice we thought whats going on here. I asked Sharon what is her real name as she had grown up next door to her. She said Alice and an entirely different surname. Did we hear her incorrectly when she introduced herself to us or didn't she want us to know her by the name of Alice.
Over the years we spent many a warm Summers night out the front chatting with Alice. A few of the other neighbours had a falling out with her but I refused to take sides and remained on talking terms with Alice.She was thrilled when Bruce and I came home from hospital with our new babies. Then in turn loved meeting our new grandchildren. She loved to know what all the children were up to.
Although we always chatted out the front we never went inside each others houses as we liked to keep to ourselves that way. Alice did take me around to her back yard one day to show me her beautiful garden full of fruit trees. She was always in her garden tending the roses out the front, weeding and mowing.
Every Spring she would clean her house down from top to bottom and put a fresh coat of paint on every wall in the house as it obviously was her pride and joy.
Unfortunately Bill was involved in a nasty car accident and he seemed to never fully recover. Then he got cancer but held onto see his grand daughter born. So Alice lived by herself for at least 20 years without Bill,then she too got cancer. She still manage to keep her garden immaculate and do her Spring cleaning until she had to go into a nursing home about two years ago.
I often saw her come up to my work with her daughters and always promised to visit her in the nursing home. The time never came though as I was either working or sick. So now I will probably have regrets as I read in today's paper Alice died on Sunday August 29th.
Another August death, what is it with that month.
Alice every time the song living next door to Alice came on the radio I always thought of you and will continue to think of you.
R.I.P. Alice
you were a nice lady.
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Damn you lady, I'm crying here :*(
ReplyDeleteWhen we were younger her loooong chats with you used to bug me, coz she kept you out the front while we wanted afternoon tea after school or something, but she was only ever a pest in a grandma way, I still liked her, and loved that she wanted to know all our achievements as we grew.
It's awful that you never did get that visit in, I remember saying this might happen, such a shame it has :( And so sad it's another august death.
The new owners probably think they've done a great job modernising the house and garden, but how sad is it to see no roses.....just like the hedges that Theresa tended to and were ripped out by thenew owners.
If you find out the details, I would love to go to the funeral with you xxx
i'm so sorry. this is the last day of august.
ReplyDeleteIt is good that August is over, now I can breathe a sigh of relief.
ReplyDeletethe grim reaper had to get one more in though, just found out one of my workmates 17 y.o. son committed suicide last Friday. R.I.P. Jarrod