I don’t socialize with neighbors. I believe in being friendly. If I see them around the building I say hello and sometimes follow it with short friendly chit-chat.
When I moved into my apartment I smiled to everyone, and I still do. Hello. Beautiful day! How’s it going? Everyone responds in kind. Well, almost everyone…
One day shortly after I moved in I went to the mailbox. There was a woman, 40s, well-groomed, getting her mail.
I said hello.
She didn’t look at me or respond.
I thought she didn’t hear me. I said hello again, but this time a little louder.
She didn’t look at me or respond.
I thought she might be deaf so I waved my hand to get her attention. I smiled and said hello being sure to move my lips so she could read what I was saying.
She didn’t look at me or respond. Not a word. Not a grunt. Not a smile.
I thought her behavior rude.
A week later I happened to come out of my apartment to check my mail when I noticed her carrying grocery bags from the lobby into her apartment one bag at a time. She went inside with one bag and left the others in the lobby. I decided to see if she would speak when she came for the other bags. I even thought I’d offer to help.
I pretended to read my mail. I waited and I waited and she never came out. If there was frozen food in any of the bags it would have melted. As soon as I went back into my apartment I peeked out the door and there she was racing down the hall to get her groceries.
She’s been living in the building over 20 years and she’s never been friendly to any of the neighbors. No one in the building knows her name. They all have similar stories of her lack of friendliness.
She lives alone with her cat. Occasionally there’s a guy or two but they never last long. I’m sure they get offended by her unfriendliness.
Just yesterday I was walking by her door as she was coming out. Our bodies almost touched as we passed each other. I smiled to say hello but there was no eye contact.
No word. No grunt. No smile.
So sad.
She’s the mean ‘ole bitch in Apartment 6.
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