A Friendly Neighbour
"So, any thoughts? What do you think, girls?" Lily Buffay asked hopefully.
12 year old Phoebe and Ursula glanced around the premises. This was their 9th home since their house was torched five years ago, and as far as they were concerned, the string of horrid rented motel rooms were progressively getting worse and worse. The girls eyed the mouldy peeling wallpaper, the filthy stained carpet, the cracked walls, the torn sunken couch, the drip-drip of the leaky tap. They breathed through their mouths to avoid the stale stench of beer and urine.
"Well? Girls?" Lily prodded, "What do you think of new home?"
Ursula remained sullenly silent, her repulsed facial expression speaking for itself. Lily turned to Phoebe (always the more kindly of her two daughters), with a pleading look in her eyes.
"It looks great, mom," Phoebe said dutifully. Lily smiled gratefully. Ursula snorted derisively.
"Great, that's what I want to hear. Now, I know it's no Five Star hotel, but it's a place to call our own, and that counts for something. The last place, as you know, was way out of our budget," Lily said brightly, masking her pain behind a tight smile.
Friendly knocking on their front door. Lily and her daughters jumped up in fright, their heart rates quickening. After all these years, their stunned-rabbit instinct remained ingrained from all those years of being pursued by loansharks. Phoebe instinctively grabbed her sister's arm protectively. Frightened and anxious, Ursula shook it off irritably.
"Ursula, cut the lights," Lily instructed urgently. Ursula quickly obliged with shaky hands. The house fell into darkness.
"Girls, stay put, I'll go see who it is, don't make a peep," Lily whispered nervously.
The girls nodded vigorously, their throats parched dry. Hadn't their dad paid off the family debt five years ago? Was he gambling again without their knowledge? Lily crept to the door, pressing her eye against the peephole. Her breathing was ragged and laboured.
"Ma'am, there's no need to pretend no one's home, I saw your light on a few seconds ago," a voice called out. Lily's blood ran cold. As if reading her thoughts, the stranger added quickly, "Not that I was spying on you or anything, just saying… I come in peace."
Lily eyed the man through the peephole. She'd never seen him before. A man in his early 60s, well-groomed, dressed in fine clothing, clean-shaven, ashy grey hair parted neatly to one side, silver rectangular spectacles… He looked harmless. Like an accountant or a university lecturer. The man had a blueberry pie in hand. The fruity fragrance made Lily's mouth water and her stomach rumble.
"Come now, I'm just looking to welcome you to the neighbourhood! I promise I don't bite," the stranger said, "Just thought you and the kids might enjoy sharing this pie I baked."
Lily hesitated, her hand hovering over the door handle. Why the keen interest in nobodies like us? she wondered.
"Please, humour a lonely old man, I'm a widower, after all," the stranger added good-naturedly.
Well, the pie was big enough to cover dinner, which at this point in time, Lily could hardly afford, what with the month's rental. Her stomach was growling hungrily at the scent, and no doubt her daughters were hungry too. They hadn't eaten since noon. Throwing caution to the wind, Lily flicked the lights on and opened the door, allowing the stranger to step into her home… and into her life. Phoebe and Ursula loitered at the back of the room, watching the stranger with unfriendly eyes.
"Don't mind my girls, they're not used to strangers. If you'd been down the road we had, you'd understand," Lily apologised.
The stranger raised his eyebrows inquisitively, "Oh, is that so? Sorry to hear you've not had an easy road thus far."
Feeling she had revealed too much, Lily laughed dismissively, "Oh it's nothing. Story for another day, perhaps."
The stranger placed his offering on the plastic foldout kitchen table, and winked at the girls as they stood side by side, staring at the pie, mouths watering.
"Help yourself, kids," he said pleasantly. He extended his hand to Lily, "I'm Nigel, by the way. Nigel Baker."
Lily shook Nigel's hand, her anxieties melting away. "I'm Lily Buffay," she said. It was godsend to find another adult to talk to, Lily had over the years been terribly starved for adult interaction.
"Hmm… Lily… that's such a pretty name," Nigel commented. Lily blushed slightly.
Instantly charmed and flattered, she waved the girls over, "Come on, eat up girls, this is dinner." Ursula and Phoebe quietly cut a slice of the pie each, before backing away from Nigel.
Ursula leaned into Phoebe, whispering loudly, "Who the fuck's this creep? What's with all the interest in our family? He got the hots for mom or something?" Lily glanced warningly at the girls. Phoebe nudged Ursula in the ribs, shutting her up.
"Um… Alright if we eat in the living room?" Phoebe muttered, keeping her distance from Nigel.
"Where's your manners? We ought to eat together, what with new company," Lily chided.
Nigel held up one hand, "No, no, it's no problem, you go ahead kids." The girls hurried out of the kitchen, glad to escape Nigel's oppressive presence.
"Thanks for being so understanding, they're rather untrusting of adults sometimes," Lily sighed gratefully.
"Ahh it's no problem! So, tell me Lily, what's your story? What brings you to our side of town?" Nigel asked. Lily shoved a piece of blueberry pie into her mouth, chewing with gusto.
"It's a long story," she said in between a mouthful of food.
Nigel grinned, "I've got all day."