In a certain town, there lived a woman named Judith Smith. She considered her life to be quite respectable. Though she didn’t have a family or children, she owned a flat that was always spotless and tidy. Moreover, she held a decent job as an accountant at a furniture factory.
Judith led a quiet and peaceful life until she turned 50. She really loved her existence, especially compared to the lives of her neighbors. It gave her pleasure to think that everything in her life had gone so well because she was a good person who didn’t cause harm to anyone. Her neighbors, however, were quite troublesome. One woman on her landing was over 60, yet, embarrassingly enough, she dyed her hair blue and wore tight dresses and jeans. Everyone laughed at her, considering her the local eccentric.
“Disgraceful!” thought Judith, glancing at the peculiar pensioner. And she felt glad that she looked appropriate for her age.
Talking about the third neighbor was even more shameful. She was just twenty-one and already had a child who looked about five years old. Clearly, she must have still been in school when she got pregnant. And where were her parents? As it turned out, she didn’t have any parents and lived alone with her daughter. She had even become friends with the blue-haired pensioner. While the young woman went out during the day, the neighbor watched the little girl.
This didn’t surprise Judith. “Birds of a feather flock together,” she thought. “They steer clear of me because they recognize a respectable person when they see one. They just exchange greetings with me in the lift, and that’s the extent of our interaction.”
Then there was the last neighbor, a man around 30 years old. Judith was shocked when she first saw him. His arms and neck were covered in tattoos! No respectable person would walk around like that. Of course not!
Even in her youth, Judith disapproved of such personalities. Clearly, they needed to mutilate their skin to get attention because they couldn’t stand out in any other way. Better they should spend time reading books.
These thoughts echoed in her mind every day as she ran into one of her neighbors in the lift. Returning home, she quietly took satisfaction in living the way she ought to and would sometimes discuss her neighbors with her one good friend over the phone. They had nothing else to talk about, so the “tattooed guy,” “young mother,” and “crazy old lady” became frequent topics of conversation.
One evening, Judith was heading home from work, as usual, in a foul mood. There’d been a shortage in the accounts…for the first time in many years. Who would get the blame? Obviously, the accountant. Her head had been hurting since morning. Now the ringing in her ears grew louder, and her legs felt suddenly heavy.
Struggling to the building entrance, she sat down on a bench. All of a sudden, she felt a gentle touch on her hand. Weakly looking up, she was surprised to see the very “pensioner” with the blue hair.
“Are you alright? Are you unwell?” she asked with concern.
“My head…it aches…” Judith whispered.
“Let’s go to Daniel; he’s home today. You’re as pale as a sheet.”
“Who’s Daniel?” Judith asked.
“Daniel on your floor. He’s a cardiologist. Didn’t you know?”
Reaching the right floor, the neighbor knocked on Daniel’s door. Judith was surprised to see the tattooed man, who, in her opinion, couldn’t possibly be a respectable person, open the door.
The man measured Judith’s blood pressure, laid her on the couch, and gave her a pill. Soon, the headache and ringing in her ears subsided.
“Be sure to book an appointment! You need to keep an eye on your blood pressure, even at such a young age,” the doctor smiled as her condition improved.
“Thank you,” Judith said, feeling oddly embarrassed as she remembered criticizing the tattooed man with her friend. “All about the looks, and nothing between the ears,” she had remarked about him. Yet here he was, a doctor saving lives every day.
“No problem. Take care of yourself! If anything, feel free to reach out!”
Judith said goodbye to the doctor, went inside, and lay on the couch. She had been so wrong about the man…and the blue-haired pensioner turned out to be a kind woman. She had come over, concerned about her well-being.
Someone knocked on the door. It was the blue-haired pensioner, holding the hand of the young woman’s daughter, who, according to Judith, had become a mother too soon.
“I just wanted to check in on you, see if you’re alright. I’m sorry to bring Emma along; Annie is at work…And I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time but didn’t dare. Now seemed like a good chance! We chat with the neighbors, and you keep to yourself.”
“Come in, let me make some tea,” Judith unexpectedly said to herself. “Thank you for helping me when you saw I wasn’t well…”
“Oh, don’t mention it. I can always tell when someone’s not feeling great. I cared for my ill mum all through my youth. From the age of 14, she was bedridden, and she passed away when I was over 30. No chance for studies or romance, just sitting by her bedside… Managed to have a child just in time. Never mind, I don’t want to go over it again. Now I’m letting loose in my old age,” her neighbor said with a slightly apologetic smile, pointing to her vibrant hair. “Thanks to my daughter, who helped me dye it and gets me trendy shirts. Better late than never! Though Annie’s situation is even tougher.”
“Who is Annie?” Judith asked.
“Well, Annie’s my next-door neighbor. Emma is her little sister. Their parents died in a car accident, and she adopted her sister. Quit university and works day and night, poor thing. Daniel helps her out financially at times. You know, Daniel, the one who helped you today…”
After the neighbor left, Judith sat silently at her kitchen table, staring blankly ahead. She should offer Annie some help—surely she could babysit Emma sometimes. And she had long wanted to dye her hair red.
She just thought it would be improper at her age. She’d definitely consult her neighbor about it tomorrow! And she mustn’t forget to invite Daniel for some cakes to thank him for his assistance.
