A little girl discovers that a reclusive old lady living next door is actually a child star from the fifties and becomes her friend and changes her lonely life.
May Ryder noticed their neighbor for the first time when she was just seven years old. There was something about the pretty old lady next door that seemed very familiar to May. She’d seen her face before, but where?
May asked her mom, and her mom told her that their neighbor was what people call a ‘recluse,’ someone who doesn’t like talking to other people or making friends. “That must be very lonely!” May said sadly. “I wonder if she never wants someone to talk to?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
Even though her mother told May to stay away from the neighbor, she couldn’t help keeping an eye out for her. The old lady would go to the shops at least once a week, and May made sure she was outside playing in the garden when she came home.
“Hello!” May would say. “How are you today?”
The first time the old lady stopped and stared at May. “Are you talking to me?” she asked in a rusty voice.
“Yes!” said May happily. “I wanted to say hi and invite you to tea!”
“I don’t drink tea,” said the old lady rudely. “And I don’t talk to strangers.”
“That only works when you’re the child,” May said reasonably. “I’m the kid so it’s OK for you to talk to me.”
“Well I don’t WANT to!” cried the old lady and marched into her house and slammed the door behind her. But of course, her rejection only made May more determined to be her friend and find out why the old lady was locking the world out.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
May started watching the old lady even more closely, and one day she even sneaked up to her porch and peeked in her window. She couldn’t believe her eyes! The old lady’s house was full of strange and wonderful things!
May was cupping her hands around her face to see better through the dusty glass when she felt something touching her shoulder. She screamed and fell down. She looked up and saw the old lady glaring down at her.
“What are you doing you little sneak?” the old lady snarled, and May started crying, big fat tears running down her cheeks. A transformation came over the old lady’s face. “Oh, no!” she...
