My lifelong companion, my lisp, never left my side.
My neighbor ridiculed my aging Honda and pelted it with eggs after it blocked his new fountain. He assumed I would quietly relocate the vehicle. Instead, I decided to send him an item I had held onto for two decades. By the age of fifty-seven, I had learned there were two types of individuals to steer clear of before eight AM: the ones peddling something and my neighbor Richard. That Monday, destiny brought me face-to-face with both. I stood on my porch, clad in slippers and cradling a steaming mug of coffee, when a young man approached, brandishing a roofing brochure at me. “Ma’am, we’re offering complimentary roof evaluations.” “My roof is just fine, thank you.” Once again, my lifelong lisp made its appearance. Most of the time, it lurked in the background. But fatigue or anxiety unearthed it in full force, with certain words betraying me. The young man remained unfazed. “Got it. Enjoy your day.” I felt at ease. Until Richard’s voice reached my ears.
The heart skips a beat when Sree calls my name.
“Linda! Come take a look.” She regretted not investing in the roof. Directly across the way, a trio of laborers was carefully guiding a massive stone fountain onto Richard’s front yard. At sixty-one, he boasted a mane of thick, silver hair, stood tall and straight, and had an uncanny knack for making khaki shorts appear luxurious. “You’re going to be thrilled by this.”
Is the man I married still an ass?
“I’m quite content from where I stand.” Nevertheless, he ventured across the road. Richard had spent years enhancing his home. It seemed the fountain was his crowning achievement.
“Have you ever imagined the difference if we replaced that old thing?”
“Tailored craftsmanship. Earthly rock. Triple levels.” “Sree?” His lips curled. I wished I hadn’t spoken. “Apologies. What was the count?” “Richard.”
I wore my pride like armor, unyielding and true.
“Seriously. How many levels?” “Still a jerk?” His grin vanished. Perfect. Richard had been aware of my lisp for years, recalling exactly which words used to shame me. His gaze shifted to my worn-out blue Honda. “Ever consider getting rid of that old clunker?”
When the lights illuminate tonight, everything will change.
“Definitely not.” “Looks like it’s been around for fifteen years.” “Fourteen.” “Excuse me, then. Practically brand-new.” The Honda lacked beauty, yet it came without debt. I purchased it following my divorce, when I even knew the gas station that shaved off three cents. I felt no shame. At least, I tried not to.
For nearly twenty years, we have felt Susan’s absence profoundly.
Richard admired the fountain with pride gleaming in his eyes. “Just wait until the lights turn on this evening.” I stared at the absurd creation. “Sue would have laughed at that.” He paused abruptly. I longed to retract my words.
Choosing between Sree and the comfort of four.
“You don’t have to explain what my wife would have thought.” “I didn’t intend to—” “I knew Sue completely.” “So did I.” His expression shifted. “Yeah. You definitely did.” Then he turned and left. Susan had been gone for nearly two decades. She was my closest friend. Richard’s wife. And the reason Richard and I could coexist as neighbors, maintaining the illusion of mere acquaintances.
Are you really just going to leave that behind?
By midday, the worker fixing my damaged driveway delivered even worse news. “Keep your car off the fresh cement for at least three days, maybe even four.” “Three or four?” He paused. I chuckled. “Just a little joke for my own amusement.” He chuckled back, trying to be polite. I mastered this technique long ago; if I laughed about it first, no one could turn it into my humiliation.
You understand exactly what I’m feeling.
That night, I steered the car toward home and spotted just a single vacant parking space. Right outside Richard’s place. Naturally. I pulled in. Before I could step out, his door swung open. “Are you keeping that there?” “For a few days.” “Linda, you’re obstructing the view.” “The view of what?” “The fountain I have.”
In that moment, my love was gone forever.
I gazed beyond him. Water gushed over the three lit levels. “Wow. It’s still visible.” “You get my point.” “Actually, I’m not sure I do.” His eyes darted to my lips. I hated noticing it. “Do you have any idea how expensive that fountain was?”
Please, just move it; our love depends on it.
“Absolutely not.” “Eight grand.” “What’s the matter?” The thought of leaving that there bothered him. He gestured toward my Honda. There was a period when Richard was meticulous about each cent. During Susan’s life, he kept financial matters private. Her passing changed everything.
The look in your eyes told me everything.
Inexplicably, the person I once recognized had transformed. I clicked my car doors shut. “Good night, Richard.” “Keep walking.” I halted. Under ordinary circumstances, that command would suffice. I loathed disputes. Susan liked to joke that I would say sorry even to an inanimate chair after accidentally hitting it.
I sensed in my heart that Richard could no longer hide his true self.
But there stood Richard next to his pricey fountain, a smug gesture directed at my car as if it were trash. “Absolutely not.” His eyes widened in surprise. “What did you say?” “You understood me.” I made my way home. Once at my doorstep, I took a final look back.
My Honda became an emotional battlefield, splattered with eggs.
Richard’s eyes bore into mine like a hawk fixing on prey. He wasn’t looking at the Honda. Only at me. That piercing gaze was all too familiar. Two decades ago, after Susan’s funeral, I witnessed the same chilling look. Back then, I couldn’t grasp why his eyes accused me of theft. For twenty years, I acted as if I hadn’t noticed. Now, an instinct screamed that Richard was tired of the charade.
A lone secret threatens my world.
The following dawn found me mid-sip of coffee when a glance outside almost sent the mug crashing. My Honda was smeared with eggs. Yellow trails oozed down the front glass. Shattered shells were stuck to the hood and top. A single egg had burst against the driver’s-side window. “This can’t be serious.” Immediately, I suspected it was the work of teenagers.
My heart raced as I finally confessed, ‘I did it.’
I seized my phone, rushed out, and snapped photos before disturbing a thing. The fountain in Richard’s yard gurgled serenely beside my vehicle. Naturally. I scanned the street in both directions. No children. No onlookers. No visible surveillance. Suddenly, Richard’s curtain twitched. Interesting. I strode across the street and rapped on his door.
You vandalized my car just for parking on your street?
He stood at the entrance clad in a crisp polo shirt. “Morning, Linda,” he greeted civilly. “Someone’s thrown eggs at my car,” she disclosed anxiously. He merely lifted his shoulders. “I was curious if you noticed who the culprit was,” she probed. Richard grinned broadly. “It was me,” he confessed.
His eyes lingered on my lips, holding secrets untold.
For a moment, I questioned if I’d misheard him. “You?” “Yeah. Decided to give you a little lesson.” I gaped at him in disbelief. “So, you pelted my car with eggs just because I parked on a public road?”
What on earth could that have been?
“Your beat-up car was ruining everyone’s sight of my gorgeous, brand-new fountain.” He seemed oddly smug as he said it. I turned to catch a glimpse of the fountain, then returned my gaze to him. “That’s your justification?” His eyes darted to my lips. A flush crept over my cheeks. Richard grinned. “What did you say?” I began to walk at a leisurely pace. “That’s. Your. Justification?”
Why won’t you just say the words I’ve longed to hear?
His grin stretched ominously. “Yes, you heard exactly what I said. That fountain cost me a fortune, and nobody’s thrilled to see your budget car.” A knot formed in my chest. The Honda had seen better days, a fact I was well aware of, but the dismissive way Richard spat out the word ‘cheap’ stung more than I wanted it to. “You’ve vandalized my fountain.” “Don’t worry, it’ll clean up easily.” “Then you’re responsible for the cleaning costs.” He chuckled sinisterly. “Still struggling to say it, aren’t you?”
Beneath it lay a secret that could change everything.
I fixed my gaze on him. Suddenly, I wasn’t in my late fifties. Time slipped back, and I was a younger version of myself, at a kitchen table with Susan, as Richard mocked me with those familiar sounds. In those days, Susan would always put an end to his antics. But today, she was absent.
On my way back to my beloved, one last stop called me.
“Move your car,” Richard demanded. “Or I’ll wreck it again.” The way he uttered those words halted me. This wasn’t merely a foolish man guarding his fountain’s view. There was another layer beneath his threat. Something deep-rooted. However, before I could inquire further, Richard slammed the door shut.
The discovery in my package transformed everything.
Two decades ago, I might have returned home perplexed by my missteps. It seemed like the fifty-seven-year-old version of me had grown weary of that cycle. That afternoon, I took the Honda for a professional cleaning. Before heading back, I paused for an additional errand. I had preserved something for nearly twenty years. Richard had never laid eyes on it. I decided to send it his way.
What on earth have you just sent, my love?
I wasn’t after his wealth. Yet, after the way he addressed me that morning, I decided Richard needed to face it. As I navigated my way home that afternoon, my Honda was spotless. Richard’s fountain gleamed brilliantly in the sun. Suddenly, Richard came sprinting across the road. I’d never witnessed him move with such urgency. Whatever he discovered in my parcel, it had been effective.
Did you hide this from me all along?
Richard caught up to me just before I managed to close the car door. His cheeks flushed with anger, and his trademark grin was nowhere in sight. “What on earth did you send me?” I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat, stepping out deliberately. “I see you received it.” “What possessed you to send that to me?”
As if we never knew each other.
A sense of urgency colored his voice. This intrigued me more than his frustration. “You understand why.” Richard gazed at me, clearly assessing my knowledge. “Were you aware of this?” “Naturally, I was.” His lips parted a little in surprise.
For nearly two decades, my suspicions about him were finally confirmed.
I secured my Honda and turned to confront him. “Richard, having known each other for two decades, don’t pretend with me just for show.” His face turned to stone instantly. “I don’t owe you a thing.” “I never asked for favors. I just need you to respect my car and act like a proper neighbor.” He released a mocking chuckle. “Proper. That’s a laugh coming from you.”
They tore her from my arms.
The previous version of Linda would have ignored that. I refused. “What are you implying with that remark?” Richard glanced at the houses nearby, then took a step forward. “You know precisely what you’ve done.” We were silent for a brief moment. Then he voiced what I had suspected for nearly two decades.
You should have let my past remain buried forever.
“You stole her away from me.” My gut twisted with dread. Susan. That’s what this was about. “She walked out on me because of you,” he pressed on. “And now you dare to do this?” I gave a firm shake of my head. “No, Richard. She walked out because your obsession with wealth consumed you.” His expression froze. I’d struck a nerve.
Our journey is far from complete.
“You don’t know a single thing about my marriage.” “I knew Susan.” His gaze burned with intensity. For a fleeting moment, I suspected Richard might confess the grievances he’d harbored against me for so long. But then he recoiled. “You should have let the past rest.” “You should have kept away from my car.” Richard jabbed a finger toward me. “This isn’t the end.”
Sleepless together, my wife and I faced the night.
Then he pivoted and charged across the street. I observed him vanish into his abode. I understood Richard well. I was familiar with his ego, his anger, and his desperate need to have the final say. After what I’d delivered to him, there was no way he’d just sleep it off and disregard me. And he wouldn’t make a move while the entire street was alert. So when the night descended, I stayed awake. I prepared myself. If Richard chose to deliver another lesson, he’d encounter a crowd ready and watching.
At 10:43, the world dimmed as Richard’s porch light vanished.
By the time the clock struck ten, darkness enveloped every corner of my home. Perched by the living room window, I clutched my phone, eyes locked on the house where Richard lived, directly across the street. Earlier in the evening, I’d shifted my Honda to the driveway’s edge, positioning it just far enough from the wet concrete to ensure its safety. Yet, it nestled close enough to the lawn to guarantee it caught my neighbor’s eye. If he craved the final say, I’d handed him the ideal canvas. At precisely 10:43, the light on Richard’s porch flicked off. I leaned in with anticipation.
He carried an unexpected gift that changed everything.
Sixty seconds ticked by before his front door eased open. Finally, there he was. Richard emerged, scanning the street cautiously before making his way toward my home. Deliberately. His hands weren’t bare. I could discern a tiny paint can swaying by his side, even in the dim light. My pulse quickened.
The moment I pressed the first switch, everything changed.
I anticipated trivial mischief. I hadn’t anticipated its sheer accuracy. Richard halted next to my Honda, casting a look towards my home. Shadows cloaked the panes. Not a stir in sight. Precisely what he hoped to confirm. He bent down to lift the cover. I flicked the first switch.
In a shocking twist, my closest ally Sree turns against Richard.
My porch lights burst into a furious blaze. Richard whirled around. “What on earth?!” I triggered the second switch. The sprinklers erupted with force. “Holy crap!” Jets of water slammed straight into his chest.
Give this a chance; your heart will not forget.
Richard staggered back, letting the paint can tumble onto the lawn. I walked on to the porch. “Three strikes, Richard.” “You’re out of your mind— Shut it down!” “Why should I? It will rinse off.” He stood motionless. Richard recalled uttering the same words about the eggs.
Please, I need the truth from you!
“Do you find this amusing?!” “I believe it’s more amusing than wrecking my car.” His gaze zeroed in on my lips. For many years, that would’ve silenced me. But now it didn’t. “Go on,” I dared. “Laugh.”
A voice called out, shattering the silence of my dim porch.
His mouth opened in silence. No words escaped. I gestured toward the paint can. “Lift it.” “You tricked me!” “You menaced my vehicle. I took you seriously.” “I never intended to—” “Stop deceiving me!” Richard advanced a step closer.
Did my best friend really invite them into our lives?
Suddenly, a man’s voice echoed ominously from the shadowy corner of my porch. “I wouldn’t risk it, Richard.” Richard froze instantly. Emerging from the dimness, our neighbor Tom stepped forward into the light. Carol was right behind him, clutching her coffee cup. Then Denise emerged, trailing behind them. Richard’s gaze swept over the three. “What on earth is this?”
Did achieving your dream come at a cost?
I eventually turned off the sprinklers. “The eggs were your success since no one noticed you. I wasn’t about to let you have the same luck twice.” “It was you who brought them in?” “I asked them to observe your next move.” “I didn’t cause any trouble!”
For twenty years, this has defined your life!
Carol gestured urgently toward the paint can. “So why are you hauling paint down the road, nearly midnight?” A flush of crimson spread across Richard’s face. “This is none of your business.” “It’s our concern now,” Tom interjected. Richard spun toward me, anger flickering in his eyes. “Satisfied? Is this what you were hoping for?” “And what do you suspect I was after?”
My wife’s world shattered because of your actions!
His gaze darted back to my lips. Yet anger eclipsed the familiar jest. “To make me seem like a complete idiot!” “You sat there all alone.” “Enough!” The sudden yell jolted even me. Richard’s breathing was ragged. “For two decades, you’ve been at this!” I froze. “Been at what?” “Acting oblivious!” “Oblivious to what?” “To what you did to my wife!” Carol set her mug down gently. Silence engulfed the room.
She was living the life she always dreamed of!
Richard’s finger trembled as he aimed it at me. “Sue and I were perfect until you started poisoning her mind!” My heart raced. It had surfaced. Two decades. At long last, spoken aloud. “Is that truly what you think?” “She began seeking your company over mine. Our conversations dwindled. Then she declared she couldn’t go on!”
His unexpected words shattered our bond and left us questioning everything.
“And now you blame me for what happened? Where were you when she needed you?” “I was busy working! I was striving to provide for her future!” “She already had everything she needed! She longed for her husband by her side!” His expression contorted in anger. “Do you believe I didn’t care about her?” “I believe you were more obsessed with who you wanted to be!” “Silence!”
I witnessed it, and my husband did too.
“No!” The sound of my voice startled me. Yet, as that single word escaped, it carried with it two decades of silence. “Absolutely not, Richard! I held my tongue when she abandoned you. I remained silent when she passed away. I stayed quiet every time you glanced at me with blame in your eyes, as though I had ruined your entire existence. I endured your resentment because I understood your mourning.” “You can’t dictate how I experienced my grief!” “And you can’t continue to penalize me for it for twenty years!”
The mystery of this package could change everything between us.
A heavy hush descended upon the yard. My hands shook uncontrollably now. So did Richard’s. “You sided with her.” His voice shifted. Now it held less fury. More pain. “She was my closest friend.” “I was the one she married.” “Sen, you should’ve heard her out!” The name stumbled off my lips. Sen.
The Question That Shattered My World
Richard’s gaze unconsciously fell to my lips. I caught it happen. So did he. Normally, this would be the moment when I’d turn red. Regain my composure. Deliver the punchline for him. But not tonight. “Go on,” I murmured, my voice trembling. “You’ve mocked my words ever since before Susan passed. Get it out now.” Richard fixed his stare on me. “Linda—”
Linda, please—I’m begging you!
“You usually handle this with ease,” he muttered, glancing aside. That small shift stirred something within me. In that instant, I understood I wasn’t the one ashamed; he was. I inhaled deeply. “You accused me because it’s easier than facing the truth Susan chose to depart. I never pushed her to!” “But you supported her!” “Of course! I supported her because she arrived at my door in tears! She felt invisible to you!” His expression faltered momentarily.
Tears filled my eyes as I unfolded the paper.
Then fury surged through me again. “And this package—just what exactly was this for? Was it meant to show me that you understood my wife more than I ever did?” “No.” “Then explain it!” I extracted the creased paper from my pocket. Carol’s eyes met mine. “What’s that?” “It’s nothing,” Richard retorted sharply. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “Nothing? You sprinted across the road today because of it.” “Linda, stop.”
The package’s contents will change everything between us.
“Why not?” The words echoed with a sharp insistence. “Because Sue isn’t here to defend herself!” The statement brought me to a halt. For a moment, sorrow crashed into the storm of my rage. “No,” I whispered, voice constrained by emotion. “She’s not around.” My voice faltered as I continued. “And it’s precisely the reason I kept quiet about her for two decades.” Richard’s eyes locked onto mine. I unfolded the sheet in my trembling hands. “You’ve spent countless years parading the cost of everything you own. Your mansion. The manicured gardens. That extravagant fountain worth eight thousand dollars.” “What’s the connection to Sue?”
That was almost all I had left.
“Everything,” I declared, raising the check. “This was inside the parcel: a replica of a check I wrote for Susan two decades back.” Richard frowned, shaking his head in confusion. “Sue handed me that cash for my venture. What’s the big deal?” I fixed my eyes on him, my gaze unyielding. “Question where she obtained it.” “She would’ve confided in me!” he protested. “She intended to,” I replied sharply. Richard could only stare at the paper, his voice barely a whisper. “Five thousand…” “That was almost all I possessed,” I confessed.
Why did you keep silent after my wife passed away?
Richard swung his head from side to side once more. “No, Sue handed me that cash. She mentioned she had come up with a solution.” “She did. That solution was me. She returned the money whenever she found an opportunity. Fifty bucks—sometimes a hundred. She snuck away whatever she could manage secretly without causing you concern.” “Kept secrets from me?” “She was guarding your self-esteem! She had faith in you! Even in her angriest moments with you, she still believed. That’s the reason I provided her the funds.”
Her debt lingers in my heart even after her death.
His tone sank to a whisper. “Why didn’t you inform me after her passing?” “Because she was dead!” My words faltered utterly. “Because I lost my dearest friend, and you were mourning your wife! Did you truly want me coming over to discuss unpaid debts? I couldn’t bring myself to do that to her.” Once more, the lisp emerged. Once more, I let it remain. “She hadn’t paid everything she owed when she passed,” I persisted. “I never came to you for it. Not even once.” Richard ran a hand over his dampened face. “So you’re asking for it now.”
You sought a scapegoat to soothe your pain.
“No! I refuse to take your money!” “Then why did you send that cursed check?” “Because today, you laughed at my beat-up car right in front of me!” My voice wavered once more. “You stared at me with disgust as if I were worthless due to my fourteen-year-old vehicle. You boasted about an eight-thousand-dollar fountain to the person whose savings helped launch the very business that funded it!” Richard turned as rigid as a statue. Carol murmured softly, “Oh, Richard.”
You stole the love we once shared.
He glanced at her. Then his gaze shifted to Tom. Afterward, it landed across the road. The fountain continued its luminous dance. Water cascaded flawlessly from one stone level to the other. Richard watched it for what felt like an eternity. “I was unaware,” he eventually spoke. “Sue never mentioned anything.” “I’m aware.” His eyes returned to meet mine. “And you let me think…” “That you built your company on your own? Yes.” “No.” His voice trembled. “That you stole her from me.” My fury eased slightly, but it lingered. “I couldn’t absolve that for you, Richard. You needed someone to point fingers at.” Richard’s eyes glistened, and he turned his head aside.
All for the sake of our precious eggs.
“I understand,” he murmured, his words almost lost in the air. “I cared for her deeply.” “I understand you did,” he replied, his gaze drifting to my lips for a fleeting moment. Yet his expression was devoid of amusement or scorn; only decades of weariness lined his face. I left the slip-up unchallenged. For once, it wasn’t necessary. I lifted the dry cleaning ticket from the porch table. “I refuse to take on the remainder of Susan’s debt. But your balance with me is $186.40.”
My hands trembled as I uncovered $186.40.
His eyes locked onto the object. Then onto mine. “This is for the eggs.” “For the eggs.” He accepted it with a nod. “And what about Richard?” “What?” “Keep your distance from my Honda.”
Our bond never blossomed into friendship, leaving a void.
The following dawn, I found an envelope slipped beneath my door. Within, I discovered $186.40. No apology accompanied it. Perhaps, we both lacked words to encapsulate two decades within an envelope. Richard and I never developed a friendship. Yet, he steered clear of my Honda from that day forward.
Are my hopes dashed with these three tiers?
Three days after my driveway was set, I returned it to its place. Richard stood nearby, staring at his fountain. He briefly looked over at my Honda and then right at me. “Good morning, Linda.” “Good morning.” As I walked away, I paused. “Richard?” “Yes?” My eyes shifted to the fountain. “Still three levels?” He paused, studying me. A faint grin appeared across his lips. “Still three.” I matched his smile. Throughout my life, cracking that joke before others did was my shield against their words.