Writing for Fun
October 2019
Leylandii - Sue Barker
Bill drew back the curtains and sighed; it was hardly lighter with the curtains opened; that damned women he thought. He cursed the day she moved in eight years ago, it had been fine when John and Mary lived next door.
Initially all was quite amicable when Judy moved in; the odd comment and a friendly wave; that’s all you want from a neighbour Bill decided.
It all started three autumns ago; Bill could hardly forget it; there had been a hard frost the kind that makes the grass crackle when you walk on it. He waited until he saw Judy go out and then he made his mind up. Her garden was a tip, shrubs too high; it was spoiling his garden. So he went down to the shed to get his tools. Initially he was just going to do a little tidy up; he thought she’d be grateful.
He started off gently snipping and clearing, but something got a hold of him. He hated the mess she was creating; why should his beautiful garden be spoiled by her neglect. So he dropped the shears and picked up his chainsaw. The first thing to get a haircut was her holly tree; it had always annoyed him, rudely intruding into his garden, it overhung and was a devil to cut back because of all the thorns. In his selfish deluded mind he was doing her a favour; she wasn’t bothering to prune it so he revved up his chainsaw and levelled it to just below the fence; but once he got started he couldn’t stop. He cut down her bay tree and a magnolia tree; in fact he got so carried away when he stepped back he was shocked himself. He’d cut the whole side down level to the four foot fence. Surely she’d understand if not actually thank him, he scurried indoors a little scared of her reaction.
Two hours later there was a pounding on his door, Bill didn’t open it he felt a little sick and had a headache; he knew he’d gone too far but was too afraid to face her. That’s when it all started, Judy then paid for someone to replace the low fence with a six foot abomination of a fence.
In retaliation Bill put up five wind chimes so the noise would stop Judy enjoying her garden, in fact it stopped Bill going out much as the noise drove him mad.
Judy sat indoors devastated, that old fool next door had killed her Magnolia, the one that the ashes of her beloved dog Bessie had been scattered around; the tears slid down her wrinkled face. She was so lonely without Bessie. She often sat beside the tree; it made her feel close to her old friend; but he’d destroyed that for her. She would never forgive him for that; but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her so distressed. She knew just who to call, her nephew Joe worked at a garden centre so he could get her six leylandii which would grow and grow, that would teach him.
Three years later, nothing had changed between them. A cold hostility hung over their two houses. Bill sadly looked out at the huge trees which were around 40 foot high and a sigh came up from his boots. God; he thought women really know how to hold a grudge.