Chris Wong
Posted on behalf on Good Neighbor, Colleen:
25 years ago I was preparing to move into my house. I had been there several times and usually I never saw any of the neighbors outside. But on this one day, I drove up and there was a small elderly woman across the street standing in her garage looking out. Ah, a neighbor!! I quickly parked my car and headed over to say hi. She looked a little distressed to see a stranger coming towards her. While I cheerfully explained that I would be moving in across the street, she glanced up at me without saying much.
It must have seemed odd to Adele and her family to see me alone moving into a whole house. Maybe they were thinking I didn’t have many friends or family. This may be why I got invited to join them at Thanksgivings, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, graduations, school music performances, karaoke, and zumba classes.
I realized that my neighbors were mostly at their jobs or in school. Adele seemed to be the only one who was retired with lots of free time alone. Soon after moving in, I started working in my garage at my business -- fabric design, printing, clothing. By then she was more comfortable talking to me and she would sit in my garage with me as I worked. As we talked, she told me about her early years growing up on Maui, going to school with all her Japanese classmates, and later her job at Gibson’s in Mapunapuna, in the drapery department. She showed me family photos and a video of her grandchildren when they were small. At that time, her visits with me as I worked in my garage 2 or 3 times a week, seemed to continue for 2 years or more. I don’t ever recall her complaining about her family. About other people or ailments, only sometimes. If she did, her complaints were moderate and passing. That’s why she was good company and easy to be with. Towards the end of that period - sitting with me in my garage, she had slowed down and was walking more slowly back to her house. I wanted to walk her back across the street but she declined, saying she could walk by herself. Still, from my garage, I would watch her intently as she crossed, thinking I would rush out and protect her if a car appeared from either side.
Although there are many good neighbors on our street, I am especially close and grateful to Adele’s family, Stephan, Cres, Stephan, Matthew, Luke, and Tiana for being supportive friends and for giving Adele the best life.
In my memory, Adele will always be a cherished friend.
Colleen Kimura
