Sometimes Satan comes as a man of peace.

At last . . . I've found some time to write. I should be at N/A but Stropster has tonsillitis, he's at his Dads house; he can rest there with no hampering from Hamper G or Geekster, so I can't go out. This is probably just as well as I wasn't exactly in the mood for "Mr -I was-an-arsehole-when-I-was-an-addict-so-you-must-be-one-too". As a matter of fact I'd rehearsed several times this week what I was going to share in that meeting, regarding his opinion on how much verbal abuse I deserve from Stropster. I thought it might be worth sharing with the other folk there, as he always manages to tell me these little snippets of his opinion when no-one else is around or listening . . . I think it's time the rest of the group heard what he has to say to me. Yes, well that can wait until next Wednesday. I won't forget.

Anyway, enough of him . . . I did six days out of seven clean!! Yes, I know seven would be better but . . .  well there is no but.

OK, this is the but . . .

It involved my "mentally unstable hermit neighbour". I can't go into her background here, suffice to say she is estranged from all three of her Sons and Grandchildren. She has pushed them to beyond their limits. The police have been called on many occasions when her Sons have come to visit their father; he's twenty years older than her at 78, not in the best of health and has no choice but to stay. He's a very polite and quiet old boy, I always have a chat with when I see him out and about. I haven't heard from this lady in years but she listens from her garden and bedroom window . . . She heard me with my Brother on Sunday afternoon talking about how well I'd done to get over the post-Wales relapse and be back on track again . . .  And how good it was that Hamper was in school. She's watched my garden improve over the last week . . . heard music being played again . . . even the piano. She's noticed a difference. She also heard two of my children and three of their friends laughing and enjoying the trampoline and pool on Sunday afternoon. She heard us all having a lovely family afternoon.

She came into my garden on Monday afternoon for a "chat" . . . She said she came "In the name of Jesus" and in the "Spirit of love" . . . Hmmm. I was polite. I was polite for almost an hour as she complained of the dreadful noise on Sunday afternoon.
"Why can't these other children play in their own gardens?" she asked.
"Because most of their parents like to use their gardens to relax on a Sunday afternoon and pretend that they have no children" I said. "But I don't mind my garden being used for the kids to enjoy and have fun . . . It keeps them all happy" I said.

She pretty much repeated the same crap over and over for nigh on forty minutes . . . Eventually she added "Another neighbour has been to see me, to ask me how I put up with the noise"
"Really?" that's strange, no-one ever goes to her house.
"This other neighbour is going to report you to the council and the police"
"O IS SHE?" I said. I was getting a little impatient by now. I have a very long tether.
"That's OK, I'm sure the police will see the funny side of it . . . It'll be the first time they've been called to this address for something SO serious"

She muttered on some more, and some more, now I was getting truly fed up.
"OK, I've listened politely to you for almost an hour now, I have said I will ask the kids to try and contain their excitement. Now you will listen to me! This is the FIRST FULL day my daughter has done at school. This is the FIRST day that I've had SIX hours to myself in FIVE VERY LONG years. You are NOW pissing me off, you are spoiling my peace . . . but you know that. That is why you are here. Would you please leave before I get MORE than pissed off?" My tether was stretched.

She continued "Well, since you ask what this other neighbour said, I will tell you"
"I didn't ask what this other neighbour said . . because there is no other neighbour"

But it was too late, she was not going to stop . . . this is what she had come "In the name of Jesus" to say, and she was not leaving until she had said it . . . Suddenly she was no longer muttering; her voice was clear and loud.

"This other lady said . . . SMACK HEADS like YOU don't care about anyone or anything else but themselves and their SMACK" . . . and then she waited with a questioning smirk.

I got up from where I was trying to pot some more plants in peace . . . I was already in tears. My tether snapped. I shouted, I screamed at her,

"DO NOT USE THOSE TWO WORDS TO SUM ME UP. HOW DARE YOU!!??"
"Now get the FUCK out of MY garden before I knock the living shit out of you!"
"I know what you've come to do and it is NOT in the spirit of love"

But no, she wasn't ready to go yet . . . she came towards me, she tried to touch me!! She said . . .
"I didn't say those words, it's the other lady that said them"

"Touch me and I will knock you flat! Leave MY garden now or I will be the one to call the police"

Would she go? No. She was enjoying this. I could hardly breath I was so angry. I don't ever recall during my life feeling so angry. Feeling. Anger. I had to lock myself in the house to get away from her. As I went to close the back door she tried to get in the door behind me!? I kicked it shut on her with all my might and locked it. As I did so I was shaking, sobbing, on my knees . . . I shouted at her between breaths.

"I will lock myself away for five minutes . . . If I come out in five minutes and you are still there, God help you, you better believe I will drag you back to your house"

She went.
I scored and I used.
1-nil to her. Or to the spirit within her. It was not one of love.

I now know, with hindsight, and two days to calm down, that she was jealous of the loving, family fun we were having. She never complained when things were not good. She never complained when Hamper's Dad was arrested here many times or at other "goings on" over the years. She just used to watch from the window, satisfied that she wasn't the only one not at peace.
This was different.

This made me so angry I was sick.

OK, it's over now. It was only one day out of seven . . . But I have to be aware. This is a spiritual battle. Not religious, let's not get mixed up here. Spiritual.

All is well again. I will come back in the morning with lots of happy news, I just thought this was worth mentioning. I've learned from it.

Love and peace to all x