The People in Your Neighborhood

Remember that song from Sesame Street? I  found I was whistling it around my house a lot yesterday. The music in my head had been prompted by a visitor the night before. We were finishing up dinner dishes in the kitchen when a sudden knock, knock came.

Joe reported there was someone at the back door. Fred walked out to answer. A young man, clean shaven and not much older than Andrew or Peter appeared. He had a soft voice and asked Fred if he could have the trees that were laying in our back yard. Fred asked him what for-  
“firewood”came the answer.

Fred next asked if he needed it right away and the boy said no, probably for next year, he was just trying to get a jump start. I poked my head around the corner and said hello. He introduced himself as Ricky, he lives a stone’s throw from our house. Knowing that times are hard for most right now we asked a few more questions. Ricky is the man of the house at his young age. He has two younger sisters and a Mom who works full-time to make ends meet. I have seen him now and again snow-plowing on a four-wheeler long hours into the night.  We all shook hands and Fred asked him to let him know if he needed anything else, and off he went. 

Say who are the people

In your neighborhood

In your neighborhood

In your neigh-bor-hood

The image of Ricky kind of got stuck in my mind all of yesterday along with the song. I kept looking at my own teenage sons and thinking how different their lives were in comparison. He seemed to have so many responsibilities on his young shoulders. Thanks God at least he has a roof over his head I reflected. I tried to imagine Andrew or Peter having to handle all those responsibilities. I brushed the thoughts away like unwelcome cobwebs.

In your neighborhood

In your neighborhood

In your neigh-bor-hood

This morning my mind was clear and I had moved on. Busy with housework and schoolwork my thoughts were occupied elsewhere. I got a quick peck on the cheek from Fred as he left for work. He was putting the finishing touches on a house across town. It had burned down in the summer and devastated the owner, a professor at the Mount and her teenage daughter. We hadn’t known them too well at the time but have since been happy to call them both friend and neighbor. They were so happy Fred was able to get them back ‘home’ by Christmas. This week he was officially done with the project and ready to close the door behind him.

In your neighborhood

in your neighborhood

in your neigh-bor-hood

After we finished most of our subjects up we decided to take a break for a few minutes. The kids were all happy and making plans to build a snow fort with the few inches left on the ground after our Monday night storm.  They went out to pick a spot.  Matt and Joe came running back in. 

“Mom, I think our neighbors’ house is on fire!”

I heard sirens in the distance.  I went out the front door to see a plume of black smoke rising two doors down. Within moments the street and yard were buried in Fire engines and emergency vehicles.  I called Fred who came rushing home immediately. It was Ricky’s house. I watched as fire-fighters broke windows and glass to let the heat out. The house became engulfed. Fred went walking over knowing, as did all of us ,there would be nothing left. Quickly we were told no one was hurt. Fred stood with Ricky watching the firefighter’s work. At some point He noticed Alex and Chris helping put out the fire. Two neighborhood boys who used to play in our yard just a few short years ago. Now here they were risking their lives to keep us safe.

They're the people that you meet

when you're walking down the street

The people that you meet each day

It took hours to put it completely out. While I am infinitely grateful no one was hurt I cannot help but be deeply saddened by the loss Ricky and his families have just suffered.  We pack so much into our homes. Not just stuff, but habits, and rituals, and memories. A fire doesn’t just destroy tangible items; it robs us of a place to feel like we belong, a place to call home.  And Ricky, he just really seemed to need that roof.