My Handsome Neighbor And I

Vivian Melvin I sat out in front of our house, staring at the beautiful gate that flung open. I was dressed in a long blue oversized gown, and I held a long comb to my hand and was busy brushing my long blonde hair as I watched the new tenant pack in. My mom's house is a one-story building, and we lived on the upper floor while mom decided to rent the lower floor. I stared at the handsome new neighbor of ours that packed in as our eyes met. He came in with a black lady helping him offload his loads and house properties from the vehicle trunk. I smiled at him as our eyes met again, and I was compelled to stand up and go to assist him. He was a charming fine man. What I meant by charming was that he was sparkling yellow like the sun. Well, I was fair too. I was pretty, but mom always told me not to mind anyone who told me I was pretty. Mom always said, "Don't listen to any man who tells you that you're pretty, Vivian. They're all liars." Mom never allowed me to wear any tight or seductive dress, as all I wore was an oversized gown and looked like a kid, but I wasn't, as I was 21 years old, and I got bigger boobs and buttocks. Mom mostly bought me big garments and dresses that are oversized, saying that's the best and how I should always be dressing. I watched as the new tenant of ours packed in as mom wasn't at home and it was Friday evening. Mom was a doctor, and she got mostly busy with her surgical work, leaving me all alone in our big house while Dad was based abroad, as he hardly came home either. I looked like my mom. Cute with a lovely dimple on my cheeks. I sat singing a sweet melodic song that crossed my mind, and I stood up from my white plastic chair that I kept out and walked up to the gate to shut it closed since the vehicle driver had driven out. "Oh, you've locked the gate." A handsome voice spoke behind me, and I froze and stared back at him, hoping I wasn't dreaming, as he looked so handsome in his deep blue shirt and black trousers, paired with black slippers. I smiled at him, unable to respond to his simple question, until I heard his girlfriend step out of the house, and she screamed out, "Chris! What do you stand there discussing with her?." "Oh! I just came out now to shut the gate, but I saw that she has already shut it closed," Chris replied to her, but her brown eyes burned red at me as she eyed me irritably, and I wondered if I did anything wrong by locking up the gates. "That's fine. Let's go in and arrange the house. You know I still have to go back home today," she told Chris as she stepped out, while I walked away from them. Heading back to the white plastic stairs that I dropped outside. I took it and went upstairs to my mom and my apartment. I could feel Chris's eyes on me, but I wasn't turning back. I stared at Chris as I walked away, going towards the staircase that was on the right side of the building. I knew that I looked funny in the blue oversized gown that I wore, but it was my mother's choice of outfit for me, and I had to comply with her so Mom wouldn't get worried about me staying home alone in the house. "Chris!" I heard the lady yell from inside the house again, and Chris replied, "I am coming, Becky." That's when I heard her name, and I said her name, "Becky." Becky was black, slim, and cute too. But she looked older than me. I dragged my white plastic chair along with me as I went upstairs to my room. I had to prepare dinner for mom and me to eat, and although I was a student, I still knew how to cook. I approached our room door upstairs, unlocked it, and went inside, and I couldn't stop thinking about Chris. The inside of our living room was well furnished with seven white couches, as mom loved everything to look clean. Seeing the living room wall clock time to be 6 p.m., I knew mom would soon be back, so I rushed into the kitchen to prepare our dinner. Soon, mom arrived home, and I could hear the sound of mom honking her car horn at the gate. I was already through preparing the white yam and fried eggs, and so I rushed out and went downstairs to pull the gate open for mom, as we didn't have any gatemen. I remembered that I had told mom before to employ a gateman, but mom refused and said, "No. I don't need a gateman or any man at home with you when I am not around." "Hmm." I frowned and kept silent. How would mom think of me having an affair with a gatekeeper?. I was 21 years old and not a kid. But Mom still treats me like her little baby doll. I rushed out, running to the gate to pull it open, and I was nervous as Chris apartment was facing the gate. Mom drove her black car into our compound and parked, and she switched off her car's engine before she stepped down. "Welcome home, mom," I said as I finally walked up to meet my mom after closing the gate. Mom smiled to me as she was dressed in a blue shirt and black plain trouser, as her white doctor coat was still hanging inside her car. Mom stared at the house, and she saw that our new neighbor had parked in, and they stepped out as the night fell. Mom smiled at me and said, "Our neighbors are here. Good evening, sir, madam." Mom was smiling to Chris and to Becky that stepped out, and Becky eyes narrowed at me, but she smiled to mom and said, "Good evening, ma." Mom replied, "You're both welcome. Actually, the house agent called me and told me that you both would be arriving. But I wasn't expecting it to be today. I am a doctor, and here's my lovely daughter, Vivian. We live upstairs, but her father and I decided to rent the downstairs since we ain't using it." Chris smiled at mom, and he replied, "Nice to meet you, madam." Mom stared at him in silence first, and she finally spoke, "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Chris, and your wife. You both are welcome. Come, Vivian, let's go upstairs." I was carrying mom's handbag, but I wasn't happy to hear that Chris and Becky were already married. I quickly stared away from them as I saw both Chris and Becky staring at mom and me as we went to the staircase on the right side of the building, and we went upstairs to our own apartment. As soon as mom and I got inside the living room, mom immediately asked me, "When did they arrive, Vivian?." "Not quiet long, mom," I said, as I wasn't happy and stared away. Mom immediately said to me with a strict face, "I want you to keep your distance from them, especially that young man. I only allowed him to live here because he's a lawyer and a married man. I don't want to ever see you with them, in their house, or associating with them. Is that understood?." "Mom, I am not a kid," I said. "I know that you're not a kid, Vivian, but I want you to maintain your distance from that young man. Men like him cannot be trusted, and the last time that I saw him with the house agent that brought him here, he wasn't looking so handsome and yellow like that. How come I missed that?." "Mom.. What are you enunciating?" I asked mom, as my eyes narrowed at her. "You won't understand Vivian, but just stay away from them, and that's all I am asking you to do for me. Is dinner ready? I am hungry." Mom turned and walked away from me. As she went back to her room to change her outfit, I pondered what mom was trying to warn me about before I went to serve our dinner.