Sarah received several complaints about the condition of her house from one of her neighbors, Mrs. Cardigan. The older woman also yelled at her when she couldn’t fix it promptly. But instead of being mad, Sarah invited her and two other neighbors into her home, which surprisingly changed everything.
Mrs. Teller,
I can’t believe I have to complain about this situation. You have to fix your yard immediately. Your house needs painting. It’s a disaster! It makes our neighborhood look awful, and all our houses are losing value since you’re right around the corner. Please do it promptly!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Cardigan.
Sarah sighed after reading another of Mrs. Cardigan’s messages. The older woman left notes stuck to her front door for the past two weeks, but there was nothing Sarah could do for now. She sighed and crumpled the letter in her hands, taking it inside and throwing it too forcefully into her garbage can.
Sarah didn’t have time to think about her nosey neighbor and her complaints. | Source: Pexels
“This awful, nosy woman doesn’t understand anything,” she told herself and started putting away the few groceries she had just bought and continued her busy day. All she needed to do now was ignore the situation and hope they would just shut up about it.
She closed the door and peeked at them through her curtains. All three of them had stopped a few yards away and were discussing something intensely.
However, Sarah should’ve expected what happened the next day.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! RING! RING! RING!
Sarah frowned as she raised her head from changing her one-year-old son’s diaper. Someone was at the door, knocking with pounding fists and ringing the bell insistently, which might wake her tired husband, Andrew, who just had a long night shift at the factory and needed his sleep. Her older children were in school, but her baby required peace. If this wasn’t an emergency, whoever was outside didn’t have to be demanding her attention like that.
Her frown stayed in place as she opened the door and saw three of her neighbors. She wasn’t surprised. It was only a matter of time before they would get tired of her ignoring the complaints about her yard. One of them was Mrs. Cardigan. There was also Mr. Sanders and Mrs. Levy. They all lived in a small town in Washington, and Sarah met them at some point but briefly. “Hello… what’s going on?” she asked, confused at their angry faces.
Mrs. Cardigan and two other neighbors came to complain about her yard in person. | Source: Pexels
“Mrs. Teller, I’ve sent many notes, and they’ve all gone unnoticed, apparently,” Mrs. Cardigan began. Her hands were raised, and her body moved with her attitude, which had a mocking tone that Sarah didn’t enjoy. “You seem to think having a yard in this condition is perfectly normal, not to mention the exterior, which is completely falling apart. We’re about to establish a homeowner’s association, and this just won’t do! You’ll actually get fined for this. Is that what you want?”
The other neighbors behind her nodded their heads, added a few complaints of their own, and even laughed at some point. Mrs. Cardigan had the worst cackle of them all. Sarah knew it looked terrible, but fixing her garden was not on her list of priorities.
She wanted to respond to all the vitriol the older woman gave her. How dare these people come to her house and mock and threaten her? They had no idea what was going on with her life. Also, if she didn’t join the HOA, they wouldn’t be able to give her any fines. She wanted to return their statements and even mock them too. But that wasn’t her personality. Sarah was better than that.
“Mrs. Cardigan, Mrs. Levy, and Mr. Sanders, would you please come in?” Sarah offered, gesturing with her hand so they could enter the house. The three neighbors were obviously shocked at her words. They expected a fight, but she wouldn’t stoop down to their level. “We can talk more about this issue inside while having some tea.”
They were shocked when Sarah invited them inside and offered them tea. | Source: Pexels
She ushered them into her house and told them to sit in her living room while she brought out her last remaining tea bags and gathered all her courage to face them with the truth. She took a deep breath, smiled, and returned to the living room.
“Here, you go,” she said in the politest voice she could muster.
Mrs. Cardigan took her cup of tea with apparent reluctance, wondering why Sarah was being nice to them. “So, are you going to do something about this?” she asked.
Finally, Sarah sat down. “Mrs. Cardigan, I’ve read all your memos. But the truth is that gardening is not a priority for my family right now. Our toddler is very sick. Do you hear the rumbling of a machine from a distance?” she asked, pointing towards the hallway.
The neighbors nodded, although they hadn’t noticed until Sarah pointed that out. “It’s not that noisy, but you can hear it. That’s my baby’s breathing machine. He’s sick with a respiratory disease that could pose a danger to his life. And my husband lost his big job after the company went bankrupt. The only thing he’s been able to find in this recession is a night shift at a can factory. It’s grueling, so he’s sleeping right now. See, the door to my bedroom is closed,” she continued, pointing towards another door in the hallway.
She explained why gardening her yard was not on her list of priorities. | Source: Pexels
Mrs. Cardigan wanted to speak up. “Well, that’s –”
But Sarah didn’t let her continue, although her voice was still serene and kind. “And I have two other kids who should be home from school at any moment now. I simply have no time or frankly any money to fix my yard. Everything goes towards food, keeping this roof, and medical bills. Can you understand my situation now?”
The three neighbors looked solemn now that she had finished explaining her situation.
Finally, Mrs. Levy said something. “We didn’t know. We are so sorry, Mrs. Teller. We hope that your baby gets better quickly,” she spoke sincerely.
“Thank you,” Sarah replied, nodding her head at her. The others echoed the sentiment, and Mrs. Cardigan looked like she had been scolded like never before.
They excused themselves quickly, thanking her for the tea and adding more apologies. And Sarah maintained her kind façade through the entire exchange, hoping they would stop with the complaints and the mocking of her yard.
She peeked at them briefly through the curtains but shrugged, hoping they wouldn’t come back. | Source: Pexels
But she closed the door and peeked at them through her curtains. All three of them had stopped a few yards away and were discussing something intensely. She shrugged and went to check on her son.
A few hours later, she heard a telltale sound of a lawnmower and saw Mr. Sanders trimming her lawn using it. She was about to tell him it was unnecessary, but Mrs. Cardigan and Mrs. Levy joined him with gardening tools.
To her shock, others neighbors showed up, bringing flowers, more tools, and everything to help fix the exterior of the house. Sarah went outside to thank them and offered to pitch in, but they wanted to do it themselves.
“Honey, I was awful to you about my complaints. I’m so sorry. Let us do this for you, to make it up to you,” Mrs. Cardigan insisted as she pushed Sarah back into her house.
Sarah’s eyes watered as she peeked at her neighbors through the window, and Andrew finally woke up to see this new development. She explained everything, and he told her something she would never forget.
The neighbors fixed her garden, and Sarah’s husband said something insightful. | Source: Pexels
“People are intrinsically good and they want to do good. We just have to remind them sometimes,” he said and went to prepare something to eat. Sarah nodded, wiping her tears away.
But their neighbors didn’t focus on just gardening. Soon, Mr. Sanders made some calls and got an interview for Andrew, another big corporation. The job offer consisted of regular hours and a salary similar to what he used to have before he was laid off. Luckily, he got the gig, and everything changed for the family.
What can we learn from this story?
- People are good at heart, but they sometimes have to be reminded of it. As soon as Sarah’s neighbors discovered her situation, they decided to take action and help them.
- Respect your neighbors no matter what. Sarah’s neighbors mocked and complained until they realized how hard Sarah’s family’s life was. But they soon atoned for their actions.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a rich woman who mocked a poor neighbor for being a builder until her house was destroyed.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
HE DIDN’T VISIT HIS MOM FOR 7 YEARS – WHAT HE FOUND WILL SHOCK YOU
Olive finally got a good job right when her son, Chris, left for college. She was so happy to be able to help him with everything he needed. As Chris stood at the train station, about to leave for New York, Olive reassured him, “Chris, don’t worry about anything. I’ll pay for as much as I can. If you need anything, just call me.”
For most of Chris’s life, Olive had struggled to make ends meet. She raised him on her own and studied at night to improve their situation. While Chris always had food and a roof over his head, Olive could never afford the things other kids had. His gifts were often second-hand, and Olive felt guilty for not being able to give him more.
Despite this, she loved him deeply and worked hard to ensure he had the best future possible. Seven years passed, and they only talked through video calls, but one day, Chris returned home and was shocked by what had happened.
Olive was finally earning a decent salary and felt proud she could give Chris anything he needed. “Thank you, Mom,” Chris said, hugging her tightly before getting on the train to New York.
Years passed, and one day, Chris decided to visit his mom. He knocked on the door of his childhood home, but there was no answer. Confused, he peeked through the window—and couldn’t believe what he saw. The house was completely empty.
***
“Mrs. Franklin, you should come to visit! I’m so huge now!” Chris’s fiancée, Rosalie, said cheerfully during a video call, showing off her baby bump. Olive smiled through the screen, but something weighed heavily on her mind.
“Mom, I wanted to ask you something,” Chris began, scratching the back of his head nervously. “Since Rosalie and I are about to graduate and we’re having a baby, I was wondering if you could help us with a house. We’ve already found one in New Jersey. We can’t afford to live in the city, but it’s beautiful, and it reminds me of home.”
Olive stared at her son, deep in thought. “Well, I… don’t know,” she hesitated, thinking about her savings and the hard work she’d put in over the years. She was finally planning for her retirement.
“Please, Mom,” Chris pleaded, explaining the cost of the house and how much they needed for a down payment. He also mentioned that Rosalie didn’t have any family to help them out.
After a long pause, Olive sighed. “Ok, Chris, ok. I think we can work something out.” She knew it would mean using up her entire savings and living even more frugally, but it was possible.
Chris’s face lit up. “Thank you! Thank you, Mom! I don’t know what I’d do without you!” he said, nearly in tears. Olive smiled back, knowing that all her sacrifices were worth it.
***
“I wish you guys could come this Christmas,” Olive said in front of her computer, as she had done many times over the years. It had been seven years since Chris left home, and he hadn’t returned to their Maryland hometown. All their communication was through video calls. Olive was missing out on her granddaughter’s life, and it hurt her deeply. But everyone was always busy, and she felt lonelier with each passing year.
Olive was working harder than ever, still helping Chris financially. She had already depleted her savings once, and now, after helping him start a business, they were almost gone again. Olive never asked Chris for anything in return, but she wished they would at least visit her, as she couldn’t make the trip herself.
“We can’t, Mom. Not this year,” Chris said, shaking his head apologetically during another video call. “But thank you for the gifts you sent Mallory. She loves them. You’re an amazing grandma.”
“Can you put her on the screen?” Olive asked gently. She smiled as she watched her granddaughter, but the longing to hold her was overwhelming.
***
What Olive didn’t know was that Chris was finally planning a surprise visit. He couldn’t afford plane tickets for Rosalie and Mallory to come with him, but he was excited to see his mother after so many years.
However, when his taxi pulled up in front of the house, Chris frowned. It was 9 p.m., and the house was completely dark. He told the driver to wait for a moment and stepped out. Something was off. The porch furniture was gone, the plants his mother had always cared for were missing, the garden was overgrown, and even the welcome mat was no longer there. His heart sank as he walked toward the door.
Chris knocked on the door again, but there was still no response. He peeked through the window and was shocked—everything inside was gone. *Did Mom move? Why didn’t she tell me?* he thought, feeling a knot of concern form in his chest.
“Chris? Is that you?” a familiar voice called out.
He turned around to see Mrs. Torres, the elderly woman who had lived next door his entire life. “Mrs. Torres! Hi!” he greeted.
“What are you doing here, kid?” she asked, surprised.
“I’m here to see Mom. Do you know where she is?” Chris asked, frowning, feeling more confused by the second.
“Oh, dear. Your mother moved away about two years ago. She sold the house, but the new owners only moved out a few weeks ago. I’m not sure who’s moving in next,” Mrs. Torres said, her face scrunching up as she spoke.
“She never told me,” Chris muttered in disbelief. “Do you know where she went?”
“Yes, I have her new address somewhere. Come inside,” Mrs. Torres replied, leading him to her house. After a few minutes, she handed Chris a piece of paper with the address written on it.
Chris read it and frowned deeply. The address was in a part of town known for being run-down. “Do you know why she moved to that area?” he asked Mrs. Torres, feeling uneasy.
“No, honey. But I know she has a roommate now,” Mrs. Torres said with a shrug, leaving Chris even more puzzled.
Feeling anxious, Chris returned to the taxi and gave the driver the new address. The car pulled up to a shabby apartment complex on a poorly lit street. The building’s paint was peeling, and it looked neglected. Chris hurried inside, noticing there was no security as he easily made his way up to the apartment.
When Olive opened the door, her eyes widened in shock. “Chris? What are you doing here?”
“Mom! What is going on? Why did you sell the house?” Chris asked, bewildered and upset.
Olive sighed heavily and stepped aside, inviting her son into the small, cramped living room. Once they sat down, she began to explain.
“The first time you asked for money for the house, I still had some savings left, so I used them to help you and Rosalie. But when you asked for money for your business, I didn’t have anything saved up. So, I decided to sell the house and give you most of the profit,” Olive said, her voice calm but tinged with sadness.
Chris was stunned. He had no idea. The realization that his mother had sold her home to help him was like a punch to the gut. “Mom, why didn’t you tell me? I never would’ve taken that money if I had known. I feel terrible… I’ve been so careless,” he said, his voice breaking with guilt.
“But, sweetheart, I just wanted you to succeed,” Olive explained softly. “I couldn’t give you much when you were younger, and I wanted to make up for it. I didn’t want you to struggle…”
Chris shook his head, his heart heavy. “Mom, you didn’t fail me. You gave me everything that mattered. I wish I had seen that sooner,” he said, his voice filled with regret.
“Mom, you gave me everything I ever needed,” Chris said, his voice shaking with emotion. “I only asked for help because I thought you could afford it. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for not checking on you, for not visiting, and for letting you live here, with a roommate, at your age. I’m so sorry.” Tears of frustration streamed down his face.
Olive, with tears in her eyes, hugged her son tightly. They held each other, both overwhelmed with emotion. Chris made many promises that night, vowing never to let her struggle again. Later, he called Rosalie and explained everything. Together, they agreed it was time to move Olive closer to them.
Fortunately, Olive found a new job in New Jersey quickly, and within a few months, they had built an in-law suite for her. Olive was finally close to her family and could enjoy every moment with her granddaughter, Mallory.
Chris worked hard and repaid his mother every penny she had given him for the house and his business, which had become a huge success. Their family was comfortable, and most importantly, Chris never let his mother sacrifice for him again. Olive never missed another precious moment of her granddaughter’s life, and Chris made sure that she would always be taken care of from then on.
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