The Mackenzie's

"Richard come see, come see!" Lizzie called out from the living room.

It was probably another actor who she had seen and liked on TV. She would call me to see all the young men she swore she could have scored had she been a few years younger.

"Maybe fifty years younger," I countered teasingly.

At seventy three she was still as dashing as ever physically ,but mentally age was catching up with her, and it showed.

Our daughter had gotten her a new Tv set to keep her entertained. Ever since she had learnt how to use her phone she had been calling her at least five times a day. The Tv had kept her busy with the many different shows and even though she barely understood half of them, she adored them.

I had been staring out the kitchen window through the sheer blinders. At that rate I could as well buy some binoculars to keep up with my new found hobby. Spying on the Mackenzie's'. I loved watching them, the way they walked, the way they talked, everything about them was new and exciting. Until it wasn't. I hadn't seen either of them for two days and there was still no sign of life coming from their house.

"Its Peter and Martha, they're on TV." She added, realizing that I was ignoring her.

I promptly let go of the blinders to pick up my walking stick and waddled to the living room. My gut was in knots and my heart beat increased, I knew something had happened.

I took the seat next to Lizzie and steadied my trembling hands to pick up my reading glasses from the coffee table and fixated my eyes to the Tv.

Blood drained from my face as I read the headlines. There was no way it was true. I squinted my eyes biding them to read it differently. The news anchor appeared behind a camera and read the headline aloud, revealing its horror in black and white.

The Mackenzie's had moved into the Hillview neighborhood shortly over six months ago. The neighbors had been skeptical about new people coming into the neighborhood but I wasn't. I had grown tired of seeing the same faces at every turn, some new ones would surely liven things up.

The moving truck had been the first to arrive on the first week of May and the staff put all their furniture in the house. The couple came by two days later from the back of an Audi . The woman, dressed in a floral skirt with a lovely slit, alighted first. From my window I could tell she was only a few inches taller than Lizzie.

I watched her open the house and stand at the door admiringly.

Her husband got up from the driver's seat, picked a box from the car trunk and followed after her. Lizzie had heard the car too and suggested that we pay them a welcoming visit. We would carry her home-baked pie. Before Lizzie could prepare the dough, we had a knock on the door. It was them.

The couple stood on the door with a box of chocolate in their hand. She introduced herself as Martha and he as Peter. They were newly weds from the neighboring town. I couldn't help but notice how lovely Martha's smile was. Her dimples curved inwards whenever she smiled and she walked with the grace of a swine. Peter, who stood a few inches taller than her seemed out of place. I chuckled softly, realizing that he had been dragged into it. His eyes had a certain cool to them and his handshake very firm, a man of few words I presumed.

They settled in well as the days went by. Peter had found work at a primary school in the town center. His Audi could be heard leaving for the town center early as 7 AM each morning. I was both shocked and impressed with his occupation. He hadn't stricken me as someone with lots of patience and I knew kids needed one. My own grandkids would tire me after a day of seeing them, I couldn't imagine doing that everyday.

Martha stayed at home for the most part of her day. Running errands at the supermarket and at the plant store. She would bring in a new plant every week for her garden, it seemed obvious that she planned on turning it into a home. Music would be heard emitting from the house right from noon till 5 in the afternoon. On the weekends they would dine out in the town center and come back late in the night. Indeed they were the epitome of youth and I on the other hand was living vicariously through them.

Within two months they had been acquainted with everyone in the neighborhood, both old and young although they were the only other young couple besides the Johnsons, Aisha Johnson and John Johnson.

As nature dictates, Aisha and Martha became fast friends, Aisha would spend most of her afternoons with Martha. Her husband also worked in the town center and she had lots of time on her hands. She would sit on the hammock in Martha's garden and chat away with her as Martha tended to her plants.

In mid June, John Johnson had been relocated at work and the Johnsons needed to move towns. The neighborhood organized a send away party for them, they would thoroughly be missed. Martha had even cried at the party. Her only consolation was Aisha' promise to visit on thanksgiving.

The days went by regardless and Martha took up more hobbies to fill up her time. She began jogging at 6Am every morning and took up afternoon art lessons in the town center. She would be back home by five and prepare their evening meal.

July came and left its cold hands lingering, and just like the bumblebee, the Mackenzie's began hibernating into their nest. The music that was so ever present began dwindling with each passing day. Martha's morning runs gradually reduced from everyday to thrice a week and by the end of July she had stopped altogether.

August came by like a breeze, blowing ever so gently on the most mundane of places. Peter began leaving for work earlier and coming back later and later each night. The music and the sound of laughter that had marked their house had seized. The bubbly and happy couple across the street had been fully replaced by sorry replicas.

Martha only left her house to tend to her garden every few days. Where her lively face laid ,stood a sunken one, she appeared to have lost a few pounds.

By the end of August, the plants at the back of the Mackenzie's house were long dead. They had withered away, devoid of love and warmth. It was time to pay the Mackenzie's a visit.

Lizzie and I chose a quiet Sunday Afternoon, she had spent all morning baking a pie and had almost burnt it when she forgot about it and went to watch Tv. I peeped through the window and saw their car parked on the driveway. They were home. Bringing our pie, we went across the street and knocked on their door. No response. We knocked again, still no response.

Just when we were about to leave, there was a faint creak as the door opened halfway. It was Martha. Her eyes opened wide with recognition and a faint smile formed on her lips. Her hair was in a messy wave on her head and she in sweats. My eyes met hers squarely and my heart dropped from the sorrow I saw carved in them. She dropped her gaze and adjusted her curls with her hands and greeted us.

Peter came by the door and his face visibly hardened when he saw us. Without inviting us in, he thanked us for the pie and took it in. Martha blushed from the embarrassment saying they were both very busy and asked us to go another time.

We tried the following Sunday and the next but they never opened the door again. The message was loud and clear.

Soon enough Thanksgiving was approaching and just like tradition, the thanksgiving mass and party was to be celebrated in unison by all the members of the neighborhood.

The flyers had been sent out to every household, inviting them to attend. The mass was held in the local church and heads visibly turned when the Mackenzie's walked in hand in hand and took a sit by the altar. Like everyone else, they had a lot to be grateful for and couldn't ignore Thanksgiving. The mass went on smoothly and just when we were about to leave for the party, the Johnsons arrived and Martha stood transfixed.

My eyes followed hers and found them fixated on Aisha's belly. She was very visibly pregnant and appeared as though she'd pop any second now. I had just found the final piece of the puzzle. Before they could even exchange pleasantries, Martha dashed out of the mass with hot tears threatening to spill over from her eyes. Peter followed quickly after her.

"Poor child," Lizzie whispered next to me. Had she known all along?

Just on cue my leg began acting up and we had to head back home. Lizzie wanted to see and console Martha but I told her to wait till morning. Martha's pain was not new to us.

We had tried for a child of our own for several years before having our daughter so we damn well knew what she was going through.

When we passed by their house, we heard the muffled sounds of hushed arguments and I could even swear I heard Martha throw in an 'I hate you.' Suddenly their door flung open and an angry Peter walked out. He became even more furious when he realized that we had overheard them.

Lizzie and I nodded at him and crossed the street. We would come see Martha early in the morning. When we went by the following morning, no one was home and now it had been two nights since I had last seen them.

'Tragedy befalls Hillview as man and truck driver perish. The accident occurred at 1 am two days ago. Sources say the driver had fallen asleep mid- driving and hadn't seen the drunk man in the middle of the road. Other sources say the drunk man didn't barge when he saw the truck. Is this an accident or a suicide? More coming shortly.'