Firstly I must apologise to any English readers....I know this isn't how we spell "neighbourly" in England, but I live in America now, so I have adopted some of the spelling, or misspelling, characteristics of this country.
There are 7, no make that 8, fire trucks outside my house right now. Upon investigation, and correspondence (call it sign language) with my, mostly Brazilian neighbors I discovered that the house right next door to me had an electrical fire tonight ….with, get this, a minor explosion, none the less! Where the heck was I? I heard nothing. There are about 55 people standing in the street from every neighboring household, and twice as many firefighters (they don’t do things by halves around here), and there I am obliviously watching a Ruth Rendell mystery!
I don't want to alarm any of you, but Electrical fires account for more than 67,000 fires in this country. Take heed everyone, don't over load your outlets and check out the link above for more scary stats.
I had to go and see if I could help, I am not into all this standing around watching lark... in England we would have put the kettle on and made everyone out there a cup of tea by now!
Got to do the neighborly thing. The family has a baby, and they are all outside, with no place to go until the fire people render the house safe.
Even though I just spent two hours making my spare room all ready for my Mum’s visit next week, I offered it to the family next door. But the, (approximately 12 year old), son, who translated my offer to his mother, declined. I feel badly. Here I am with an empty house and there they are sitting outside on the sidewalk. Why wont she bring the baby in my house, even just for a while? I am a little bit offended!
One of the “fire-ladies”, who introduces herself as Dawn, tells me it’s because they probably aren’t “legal” here and they keep very private. Who the heck do they think I am? Do I look like an immigration officer? And think of your baby you silly woman. Oh well, I offered them a flashlight, (that's a torch to you Brits), and a bottle of water, which they took, and I told them the offer is still open if they need somewhere to stay tonight….. just trying to do my bit, for Brazilian, American, Anglo relations.
Plus of course, an important point is that it’s the house with the industrial sewing machine that my friend has been obsessed with since we spied it through my office window last week. She’s been looking for a seamstress for a while, and now has the perfect excuse to go and check out her sewing skills, when I send her over there to collect my flashlight tomorrow!
Did you get your torch back? Lovely piece, I missed reading your funny words! I would have taken that empty bed if I were here, let the kids and husband stay outside and drink some Pim's with my new English neighbor! neighbour.
love how you say "they don't do things half around here" because what it really is, is that nothing ever happens (ever!) and when it does, all towns are so excited they are all jumping on the opportunity. We still make front paper headlines when a swing was stolen from Alley's, remember? Or the sign from the El Packa Farm... front paper news, I tell ya'.
Posted by: jess | May 25, 2009 at 01:40 PM
i wish you were my neighbor.....
so happy your blogging again!!!!
xx
p.s. what's a Pim?
Posted by: Amy | June 08, 2009 at 04:54 AM
AMY .. you've never had Pimms? It's "summer in a glass" ... delicious ....! My place on the first sunny day we get ...!
Posted by: Lexi | June 21, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Amy ... its Pimms time... soon okay?
also, to update. we have made the seamstress connection and all is good on that score!
I also got my flashlight back.
Posted by: Lexi | July 07, 2009 at 06:54 PM