Noisy Neighbors

Once upon a time there was a young woman who left the country for the city. She had won a multi-million dollar lottery then moved to the city. Now Ella was tired of city life. She had an overwhelming urge to leave the city and again find a nice spot in the country. Somewhere she could have peace and quiet with no traffic noise or people screaming and shouting. Where sounds would only be from the birds singing and breezes through the trees. A place she would not have interruptions and she could write to her hearts content. Since she had hit the lottery, money was no object. She had invested most of it and that income alone increased her wealth daily. Being so wealthy certainly had its advantages and it was time she took advantage of it.

A call to a realtor was her first step. Making sure her checkbook was in her purse so she could pay for any property in full, Ella left her penthouse condo after calling her chauffer to tell him to have the car out front for her. She took the private elevator from her penthouse to the ground floor of the obviously expensive condominium. She glanced at the Picasso painting on the wall as she approached the door. Not to her taste but the colors were nice. Her chauffer was waiting to open the door for her after she pressed the security button that unlocked it. 

“Thank you, George. I’m in a bit of a hurry for an appointment in town. Can we get to 17258 East Broad Avenue within a half hour or should I call and reschedule? I’m not really familiar with how long it takes to get to town yet.”

“We can make it with time to spare, madam,” he said as he opened the rear door of the limousine for her. 

She gracefully climbed in and George closed the door for her then went to the driver’s side and got behind the wheel. The interior was plush all the way but her choice od colors seemed to be a little much for his taste. The seats were bubblegum pink trimmed in fuscia. The roof and sides were upholstered in taffy pink. The steering wheel and dash trim were also fuscia. Whenever he took the car for servicing he always received strange looks since he did not wear his uniform on those days. He made sure to say his employer’s name loud and clear when he affirmed the appointment to make the stares go away.

True to his word, they arrived at the realtor’s office right on time. Ella exited with the same grace she had entered as George held the door for her. She told him the appointment might take some time so if he wanted to grab a bite to eat that was fine with her. He glanced around the area without seeing even one restaurant close by so he told her he would wait in the car. No way was he going to drive that pink monster to a restaurant!

As Ella entered the reception area she looked around the room. It was much like any other real estate office except sparser. There were no expensive paintings on the walls. The furniture was stark with no upholstery or cushions on any of the chairs. The reception desk looked like it had been used for far too long but at least it wasn’t something she would be sitting on. Six months ago she would have thought the office was nice but having all that money had already started changing how she looked at people and places. 

“Ms. Asher, Miss Kindle can see you now. Her office is the second on the left”

Ella entered the hallway the receptionist had pointed out to her and she spied Miss Kindle’s name on the door to her left. She walked into an office that matched the reception area and reluctantly sat on the fake wooden chair made out of plastic in front of the desk. 

“How can I help you today, Ms. Asher? What type of property are you looking for”

“I’m looking for something in the country. Somewhere it is very quiet to do my writing. Away from traffic and no close neighbors”

“I see. Let me think for just a minute. Most of my clients are looking for something here in the city and we don’t get many calls for the country. Hmmmm, oh yes, I do remember a wonderful piece of property listed recently. It is quite a ways out in the country The lodge is beautiful and it is surrounded by nothing but woods on three sides with a long driveway from the road to the lodge through nothing but trees and wildlife. They told me they see deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds and all kinds of wildlife out there. No traffic sounds reach the home from the road and just a short way through the woods in back is a small lake. The property is fifty acres so you would have no close neighbors either. Does that sound like something you would be interested in? The price is amazingly low since the former owner passed away unexpectedly and his heirs are wanting to sell the property because they have no use for it and they do need the money.”

“I would very much like to look at the property. When could I see it?”

“You are in luck. My schedule is clear this afternoon so we could go now if you want.”

“That would be fine. My chauffer is just outside and we can go in my limousine.”

“Just let me tell my secretary I will not be available for the rest of the afternoon. It is quite a drive. Would you like to stop at a quaint little restaurant not far from the property for a bite before we look at it?”

“Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry and that would give me an idea of what the area is like. Yes, I would like to stop there. Is there anywhere close by here that sells bottled water or soft drinks? George nor I thought to stock the refrigerator in the limo so we have nothing to drink on hand.”

“Yes, about two miles down from here we will pass a gas station and convenience store. We can swing in there if you like. Please follow me while I let the office know I will be unavailable.”

The two women stopped at the receptionist desk while Miss Kindle spoke with the receptionist about showing the Shaman property. When they were outside, Miss Kindle saw the limo parked at the curb. Dollar signs floated past her eyes. If she made this sale she could almost retire! Her commission would be in the high six figures. 

George held the door for the two women then asked where they were going as he settled behind the wheel. 

“I’m afraid our destination is a little bit of a drive from here. It is over 200 miles south on route 10. Do you have enough gas? Ms. Asher said she wants to stop for drinks at the convenience store/gas station a couple of miles from here.”

“Thank you, I will fill up there. Now if you will kindly give me the directions, we can go.”

“Go west to Center Street then south on route 10. The gas station is on that corner.”

The car felt like it was riding on air so Miss Kindle sat back and enjoyed the ride while pointing out various businesses and properties she had sold. Ella closed off her mind to the prattle and they were soon at their stop.

Miss Kindle started to open her door but George was already there holding it for her. My, that man was quick!

As soon as she was out George went around to the other side and helped his employer out. The two women entered the store and shopped for drinks and snacks. George came in and joined them at the cash register. Ella handed him the basket and he emptied it of their purchases. When the cashier had totaled the food and drinks, George told her which pump he had used and she added that to the bill. Miss Kindle was startled by the large amount shown on the register. How could the few drinks and snacks plus a tankful of gas cost so much? Ms. Asher pulled out her credit card and gave it to George who completed the transaction. When George had once again seated them in the car after stowing the drinks in the refrigerator and the snacks in the built–in cupboard next to it she saw him put three cases of drinks and a complete carton of each snack in the trunk. She glanced at the gas pump until she saw the amount of gas registered. He had put100 gallons of gas in this car. It must have a

gas tank from front to back and side to side to hold that much gas!

The ride to the property was mostly silent but very comfortable. The pinks were lovely to Miss Kindle who knew a small fortune went into the interior alone. This woman must be very wealthy. If I can make this sale I’ll be wealthy, too. Not this wealthy but very comfortable. I can take that cruise I’ve wanted for so long. I can upgrade my wardrobe and redecorate the office.

George took her directions perfectly and they arrived at the restaurant much sooner than Miss Kindle had expected. He must have driven close to 100 miles an hour but she didn’t feel like they had ever exceeded the speed limit. Good thing there were no cops out and about today.

They entered the restaurant and were quickly seated at a table in the back by a window looking out over woods. “These woods are the other side of your property. The fence along the parking lot is where the restaurant property ends and yours will begin.”

The waiter appeared to take their orders then Miss Kindle continued, “The property runs for five miles down the road where the driveway is. The lodge sits about two miles into the woods then the property continues for another mile before the next intersection. The property is longer than it is deep but you will have ample woods in back of you to maintain your peace and quiet. The adjoining property is part of a wildlife preserve and the only people who will ever be there are game wardens. What do you think so far?”

“It seems to fit my requirements but I won’t know until we are actually at the lodge. My, that was quick! Our orders are here already.”

Sounds of chewing and muted conversation were all Ella heard while they ate. Not one siren or loud motor revving disturbed their meal. No one shouted or screamed. This could very well be her dream escape. 

Again George was handed the credit card and he paid the tab for all three dinners.

“Ms. Asher, you didn’t have to do that.”

“It is no problem. You took your entire afternoon to show me this property so the least I can do is pay for your dinner.”

George assisted them into the car then turned in the direction toward the driveway Miss Kindle had spoke about. He didn’t even see a mailbox to warn him until Miss Kindle said he had passed the driveway. He backed up about a quarter of a mile thankful there was no other traffic. When she told him to stop, he still saw no driveway. She sprang out of the car and approached what appeared to be a tree on the right. She touched the tree and a gate rolled back on each side into what looked like nothing but trees and underbrush. She motioned him to follow the driveway then motioned for him to stop when he was a few feet inside. In the rearview mirror he could not see if she touched anything else but he did see her hurrying to the car and the gate was closed. Once in, she explained the former owner did not like company so he hid the driveway in a mural of the trees that was actually reinforced fencing decorated with the perfectly painted mural on steel. There is a concealed button on the tree she touched and another on the right side coming out that controls the gate. There are sensors that tell the gate to close as soon as the vehicle is clear.

They had arrived at the lodge. George pulled the limo up to the door and held the doors for both women then said he wanted to walk for a while to stretch his legs after all the driving. It was so peaceful and quiet he loved being outdoors. He liked what he saw of the property and hoped madam would buy it.

Miss Kindle unlocked the door and motioned for Ms. Asher to enter. The living room was enormous with wood beams across the ceiling; a fireplace with a wood mantel matching the beams. The front had extremely tall windows overlooking the driveway and a small lawn leading to the first stand of trees. The carpet looked newly laid and matched the shade of green on the trees outside. The drapes were a lighter green with morning glory accents. Ella explored the lodge and loved everything she saw. This could be the perfect get-away she sought. While she was looking at the kitchen, George came in. “Ms. Asher, I think you might want to come with me outside. I have something to show you.”

The threesome left the lodge and George led them to the edge of the woods. Ella heard whispers deeper in the woods. She followed the sounds to a small clearing a few yards into the trees. There she saw two rabbits at the edge of a bush. She heard their conversation by telepathy, “Do you think they cleaned up the hutch the old man killed himself in? I heard his note said he couldn’t stand all of our chatter especially when we talked about him. The deer were the worst he said. They never shut up day and night. Then there was Mr. and Mrs. Fox with their four kits. The babies cried all the time while the parents were out hunting for their meals. That really got on the old man’s nerves. I pity anyone who buys this place. We were here first and it is our right to make as much noise as we want.”

“I agree. That old man tried to shoot me several times but I was able to dodge the bullet each time. I got so mad I sat outside his bedroom window and chattered about nothing just to make him mad. It’s a good thing he killed himself. One of the javelinas said he was going to gore the old man to death if he didn’t quit telling them to shut up. Oh, I think that woman understands us. Ma’am  do you understand what we are saying?”

“Yes” she said. Then whispered to George, “You were right to show me this section. I do think that that would interfere with my writing. Thank you for bringing me out here.”

“Oh, aren’t those little rabbits cute! It looks like they are talking to each other. So what do you think so far?”

“It is a lovely lodge and has been well cleaned up from the suicide. The property is everything you said it was but I don’t think it is for me. Do you have something on a deserted island  with no wildlife? Come George, we have more searching to do. By the way, has anyone told you how handsome you are? I think I would like to get to know you much better. We seem to have a connection I had not seen before. Come Miss Kindle, we’ll drop you off at your office.”

“How did you know there was a suicide here? It wasn’t in any of the papers. His family wanted to keep it a secret because they knew it would be difficult to move the property.”

“Let’s just say a little bunny told me but that is not the reason I do not want to buy the property. I learned the neighbors are too noisy for me to write in peace. We are at your office. Good day and good luck selling that property. Let’s go, George. We have some talking to do.”

George pulled away from the real estate office and switched from car to aircraft mode as soon as they were out of sight of Miss Kindle. “You have many talents, George. I knew about your witchcraft but now I know you talk to animals just as I do. We have a lot of getting acquainted to do. I sense an exciting future for both of us as soon as we find that island where the noisy wildlife can’t disturb us. Oh, by the way! Your salary is doubled effective immediately. Now where can we go to chat?”

George knew the perfect spot and one of the first things he wanted to chat about was the colors of the interior of the car.