Noisy Neighbours

The year was 1961. My parents and my older brother had just moved into a new house in a small town. It was getting towards evening when they were moving. As they got the last pieces of furniture into the house they noticed the neighbors in the house across the street. All the lights in the house were on, and children were playing outside. My mom said to herself, “it looks like we’re gonna have some noisy neighbors.” That night at about two in the morning my mother got up to change my brother’s diaper. She heard noises from outside and as she looked out the window she saw that the children across the street were still outside, laughing and running around playing. When she went back to bed, she told my dad “honey, those children are still up, this late.” Myy dad replied “their parents are probably having a party. “

My mother let it go at that and fell asleep. The next day my mother went to the landlord’s to get a reciept for the rent. The landlord, who lived 2 blocks away, asked her if she liked the place. My mom told her she liked it a lot but the neighbours from across the street were kind of noisy and they were up very late. The lady replied “How strange, Mrs. Harvey, that house has been empty for years. It seems a candle was left lit during the night and the house was burnt down with the family that lived there inside.” My mom could not believe it!

So she went back home and as she got near to our neighbours house she realized there was nothing but an old foundation and old burnt bedsprings. As she turned to open the door, she could hear some cheerful laughs, as from kids and other people in a party… coming right from the house across the street.