The Power of the Unspoken Word

Here's a funny. Well, it was to me. It's a little bit of a success story, because if there are any faults for which I will surely go to hell, it's my big fat mouth.

One new friend I have comes over a lot, and our kids play very well together, so I'm almost always pleased to have them all around. When one of us has a thing and can't get the kids (jury duty for me, surgery for her) we get each others' kids. It's cool, having a backup system. I never had that.

So anyway, her next door neighbor has not liked this. My friend is away from home more often, or busy when she is home. The neighbor's daughter has fewer people to boss around, and gets grumpy over it.

In fairness, my friend told me all the above, about the conflict between the kids as well as between them. Nobody else really knows what went down, but I can guess what happened. Apparently, my friend's daughter stayed home sick, but felt better later and wanted to go to a church event that night. Overhearing that, the neighbor (again, hearsay as I wasn't there) reportedly said "Well, you'll have to ask your mom and Fish's permission, won't you?"

Excuse me?

Still, my friend tells me these things and it's all secondhand. I'm insulted, but I'm not going over there and getting my friend into bigger trouble for opening her big mouth even more.

Fast forward to Friday. Early release day, the kids all have school parties, and it's the day after a new security system has been installed, so I'm there to help out the staff and greet people. Up comes that very neighbor, determined to chat with me.

Y'all, you would have been so proud of me.

We chatted several minutes and the neighbor said "We ought to get our girls together. The only thing is, sometimes having her for a neighbor gets things a little territorial."

One of the stories my friend has told me about this family is that whatever anyone on the street gets for a birthday, Christmas or special occasion, the daughter HAS to have it. Now. Veruca Salt, in the flesh. Apparently, if that is true, then momma has come over to get the Little Critter as the newest acquisition. And momma was also checking to see if I'd carry dirt back to my friend. Because her next thing to say was "You know, when she lives next door, you never know when she'll just come walking in."


(Wait for it. I'm soooooo proud.)


So I sweetly say: "Well, that's why it's different being next door. It takes a little more effort to get up and make one's way all the way over to my end of the division."

That tactic failing, she attempts to get me back on getting our girls together to play. So I respond with: "You know what I'd LOVE! I'd love getting everyone together at the pool this summer! We always go down there on Monday nights; you should join us! Let's make plans!"

So I talked to my friend several times since that conversation, and I never brought it up. I could feel the urge to spill everything come on strong, but I fought it again and again. I thought I'd bust from the effort. Then she calls me today while I was out running the shopping gauntlet. It seems her neighbor and she had a chat today, and her neighbor told her "You know, I misjudged Fish. She's really sweet."

HA! If she only knew! But for once I can say that I kept silent when I should have. So often I regret saying something I said, and I rarely regret holding back words I want to say. It's nice to report, for once, that I governed this lethal weapon and it served me well.

Maybe I'm giving up gossip for Lent.