It's really good to have a neighbor you are friendly with, someone you know and you can trust. It's true, even coming from someone like me with a critical socializing problem. But still, it's not as bad as people say because whatever neighbor I get, I can adapt to and match whatever energy the person gives me. That's literally how I live my life; whatever action you give me determines the reaction you get. It's just like a law of physics—the motion law. The only problem with it is that, just like the same law, there must be an action for a reaction—so without me getting an action I won't give a reaction. So just imagine meeting me, lol. There would be no such thing as action or reaction, and we would both just wait for an action from each other forever.
As much as I like to mind my business, have my own space, and be on my own, if I have a neighbor I can get close with and trust and know to an extent, it would be very nice. When we moved to Rivers State before moving into the house my dad built, I can remember how we clicked with our neighbors that very day. The moment we stepped foot into the compound a news came that our neighbor's wife had successfully given birth. There and then we started celebrating together, and the compound was jolly.
And just like that, she and my mom became like sisters. And the children became like siblings. We helped each other with things like removing clothes spread outside when it was about to rain, during festivals, we exchanged delicacies, and soon we could eat from the same plate. She was a very busy woman, so we often watched her children when she went to her business. Her third pregnancy, we heard her go into labour at midnight and thank God my dad was around, so he drove them to the hospital immediately. So many good memories were made in that house.
When my dad completed his own house, we moved in. And our first two neighbors were different. One was a Christian-friendly family and it wasn't hard for us to get close. The other neighbor, on the other hand, was horrible. It would have been better if they minded their own business and stayed on their own. But no, even as we never talked—I never saw their faces, they still found a way to make trouble. My mom has this old habit of raising her voice on the phone, whatever she is saying. One time, she was in the kitchen making a call, and the troublesome woman from the neighbor's house started shouting back and arguing with her because my mom didn't even realize she was the one the woman was throwing insults at and just continued her call. It was we who were listening who understood who the woman was shouting at, and when we started laughing because we couldn't hold it she started with us, but we never replied to her, not even once.
My dad's house here in portharcourt has more tenants, but everywhere is still peaceful and everyone minds their business, only exchanging casual greetings. And it's okay. But still, I admit that having neighbors you can be friendly with and still keep and respect boundaries, and just sit outside having a friendly chat is nice.
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