2/01/2008

Help Me to Love My Neighbor

Two days ago I took the kids out for the afternoon for their play date with a friend. I came home at six, with a message on my machine. It was my neighbor. She had called me at 2, wanting to see if I could pick her daughter up at the bus stop at 3:45, and then watch her for an hour or two. She was apparently not at home, cleaning someone's house for money, calling me on her cell phone.

Oops, I thought. Wasn't home. Gee, sorry.

I called her right away at home, where I knew she was because I could see her car. I wondered if she got to her daughter on time, if she was depending on me getting the message, etc.

She picks up the phone.
"Hey," I said.
"You're late," she said. She sort of half laughed, but I could sense frustration in her voice. Give me a flipping break.
"I was out all afternoon."
"Do you still not have a cell phone?" she asked.
"Nope, and don't plan on getting one."
"Well thanks for calling me back," she said.
"No problem, gotta go."

What the heck was that? I know that she wants to get a second job and she wants me to watch her daughter after school until she gets home, but I really don't want to do it at all. I won't. The reason why: that right there. Imagine if she paid me----in fact, I don't want to imagine it. I would just turn into a slave that allows constant sickness in the house, infecting my children. No way.

11 comments:

Jacquie said...

isn't that what latchkey and daycares are for?

I'm not helping, am I?

R said...

That is a strange picture of you. I had to look at it to see what the heck was going on. Huh. You have always been a cutie though, so there.

Anyway, yes, day care would be good, but she can't afford it. Then, the girl is in Kindgergarten and freaks out when her mom is not in the house, so she usually runs to my house for protection just in case. I just have a life, and if she wants to last minute me, she needs to get a grip on the cons of last minuteness. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Dapoppins said...

Your not related, why would she think she could get away with that? Does she think you are best friends?

Gen said...

Ugh! As a stay at home mom, I get tired of the people who assume that because I stay home with my children I have all kinds of time to do favors for them. I had a pastor once who said he expected the stay at home moms to do more service for the church than the working moms. I had to inform him that believe it or not stay at home moms have 24 hours in a day just like everyone else, not 26. We didn't stay at that church much longer.

Anonymous said...

does she ever help you out???, i mean was she being unreasonable, or have you looked after each others kids before.

R said...

Dapoppins---even relations can not get away with that. At least with me. Not anymore, that is!

Groovy---That's icky. I do have issues with people who think I sit around and do nothing. Good point.

Ponder---I don't know...she thinks she does. If you are asking if I "owe" her, no, I don't owe her a darn thing. Not even a favor. I will grant her a favor out of the kindness of my own heart and because the Commandment tells me so. I will not be pushed around and expected to do something for someone based on the idea that I am home already with nothing to do.

I watch her kid some, she does not watch mine, nor do I want her to. She is a nice lady, but I don't need it.

Anonymous said...

NO.WAY. :o|

Avery Gray said...

She's stoopid.

R said...

Lisa---I knew you would be bothered by that in the extreme! That is why I love you! I was thinking as I typed it, "Lisa ain't gonna go with this craziness."

Avery---I think she is misinformed. Uninformed. Whatever it is. Maybe I'm stupid! LOL!

Anne said...

I've had a few people think that I'm just sitting around my house available to sit for thier kids. I get home and hear a few of those messages on my machine as well. Oops. Sorry.

Des said...

You are wise not to get sucked in. One day I looked up to find a nephew dumped on my front porch (with no prior notice)and the mother expected me to keep that child for 2 weeks! A toddler no less! Sure, it's family, but still...I picked the baby up, walked inside and looked at the other two children that had been dropped off for the day without prior arrangement and made a vow that I would never let my working mom friends take that kind of advantage of my family again. Now I kindly suggest to them that they open a day care so that they can babysit their children along with others, making money while meeting their own children's needs.