Our Good Neighbor Policy

Cappy has always called me, "Mrs. Kravitz", accusing me of being 'overly interested' in what the neighbors are doing. In defending myself, I say I do it in the name of Neighborhood Watch. Ya just never know what evil lurks in the heart of any given ten-minute frame. When I first moved down here, I was all by myself when Cappy was out on the boat for extended periods of time, and thus, nervous about any strange thump or bump, especially in the dead of night. This neighborhood, being such a tightly knit community; I wonder if, at first, any of them lost a little sleep, knowing there was an unfamiliar person...and a YANKEE at that, who was roosting in their midst and wondering what it was that I might be hatching over here. It's only been recently that the little kids have begun to let their guard down around me. You know, tho, in this day and age, I'm so very glad that their parents have taught them well, to beware of strangers and to look out for one another. It's a good thing.

So now, we all look out for each other. My heart was touched when one night Cappy and I returned late, after taking off early in the morning with our boat in tow to go do some fishing. Since we had driven about fifty miles away, it took us longer than usual to get home and it was long past dark. Miss Sonia said she was so worried about us that she was about to call the Coast Guard to come looking for us. To me that was the most wonderful thing...and comforting thing I could ever imagine. We hadn't told her where we were going, but she had noticed we were leaving and took note. Migosh, what if something had happened to us? She would've been our hero. Actually, by this action, she is our hero. We felt badly that we had inadvertantly made her worry so. Now whenever we are going to be away or something unusual is in the works over here, we let her know because we are part of her neighborhood family.

Now with Brad being in a hospital over in Houston, I'm not sure who is going to be traveling there to be with his family, to lend support, especially since it is Easter Sunday weekend. As I mentioned, they medivac'd Brad, his Mom and Dad over, and got him all settled in. It was a tiny plane and they were all tightly squeezed into it. I had to laugh when one of Brad's aunts...perhaps Miss Marcella said that it was so packed, that Brad's Mom's face was right in the front window. Plus, since the winds were so fierce that day, the look on her face must have been one of terror, which was not so funny. But they made it; it was a quick trip, and close to the hospital over there, which made it so much easier. At first Bradley was put in a room with a (I think) geriatric patient, but then moved him to a room with another teen boy, who is just getting up and around. A much better situation. This way, the other kid will probably be looking out for his new 'neighbor' in the bed next to his.

Cappy is expected to get off the boat tomorrow, so I know, in the middle of everything else we have going on, he cares about the boy...he's watched Bradley grow up ever since he was a little toddler...he cares about his family. The accident happened the day after he went out on the boat, and hasn't been home since; not to talk to his family; nothing. So...Now...let's just see who is going to be watching what's going on around here...will it be "Mrs. Kratvitz" or "Mr. Kravitz"?? I don't think much of anything will escape our attention, what with the neighbors away and such; especially in the middle of the night, with Raleigh-Raleigh and the dogs on high alert, as usual. Who knows what evil might be lurking in the heart of a plastic bag lightly floating across our lawn at that hour.