meeting the next door neighbors



One night my friend Baerbel and I were sacked out on the couches in our living room watching Hoellentour, a movie about the Tour de France. At one point, for some reason, I lifted my eyes from the screen and looked out the window which is next to the TV. To my surprise, there were 2 prepubescent-ish boys watching us from their window form the building next door. When I met their eyes, they giggled and ducked. This happened a few more times throughout the evening, and then I forgot all about it.

A few days later, on a Sunday, E and I were just hangin' out, putzing around the apartment. All of a sudden we heard the strangest sound.

THONK!

"What was that?" I asked.

"Dunno," replied E.

THONK! THONK-THONK! THONK!

We got up and went to the living room. I turned my eyes to the window facing the teeny-boys window. There were 4 or 5 white squares stuck to it.

Hmmmm...

E and I ran over to the window and flung it open. They were wet tissues, folded over. The only logical trajectory for these tissue-bombs would be from the teeny-boys window. E and I peeled the squares off, and as they were still pretty wet, we chucked 'em at their window.

THONK-THONK-THONK! THONK!

Very satisfying when the tissue hits the window and makes that sound, I must say.

Figuring that this wasn't the end of it, I told E that there was a brand new package of Tempo tissues in the shrank by the door. I told him to wet all the tissues and meet me by the window. I was going to stand watch and catch the teeny boys in the act.

On a side note, I feel I must give props to the Germans for manufacturing Tempo tissues. These tissues are totally awesome! Ten times sturdier than a crummy Kleenex, but just as soft. Maybe softer. Definitely smoother. And with a Tempo you can really blow your nose hard without fear of the dreaded tissue blow-out.

But I digress.

Anyway, sure enough, the teeny-boys came to their window, opened it, and started firing tissues back at our window. We waited 'til their meager supply was exhausted, and then we let 'em have it! We threw open our window and fired Tempos, one right after another at the boys. They tried to restock by opening their window to peel off the tissue squares, but we were relentless. We hit the window, the boys, and some of the tissues we threw just flew somewhere into their apartment.

The boys were cracking up. So were we. After we ran out of Tempos, both sides waited to see what the other would do. Basically, we just looked out the window at each other. After a few minutes, I did that thing where you walk past a window and crouch progressively lower with each step so that it looks like you're walking downstairs. E did the thing where you plug your nose and put your other hand above your head and slink to the ground so that it looks like you're sinking in water. I stood on my head.

After that we couldn't really think of anything funny to do. Besides moon them. But we didn't do that. Thought about it, but didn't do it.

The boys just watched us and waited.

Finally E opened the window. The boys opened theirs. We all said hello and introduced ourselves. The boys were 11 and 13 years old. Then their sister came to the window. She introduced herself as well. She's 14. They heard our accents and asked where we were from. They seemed surprised, (which I guess is a good thing?) when we told them we were both 32. Then they grabbed their 2 black cats, held 'em up for us to see, and introduced them as well. We chit-chatted for a couple more minutes - mostly us asking them the stuff that adults always ask kids about - school, sports, musical instruments, whatever. And then we waved good-bye.

Now whenever I see the boys or their sister in the window I give a little wave and a smile. They smile and wave back. Kinda funny.

Posted: Sat - December 3, 2005 at 01:35 PM            

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