My neighbor is 78 and lives alone—a kind, quiet woman.
So when a young man started visiting her, I didn’t think much of it.
Until the screaming.
One day I knocked. The door opened to her wearing a sequined blue turban and a red feather boa. She smiled and said, “You’re just in time. We’re about to start Act Two.”
The man appeared and explained they were rehearsing a play. She used to teach drama.
But the noises didn’t stop. Some days it was laughter. Other days, real crying. Once I saw her give him money. Another time, he left carrying a heavy bag. When I finally sat down with her, her home told the story—scripts, scarves, wigs everywhere. She admitted she was lonely. The man, Dante, wanted to be an actor. She wanted company. But his moods worried her. Then one morning she whispered, “He took my card.”
She didn’t want police. She didn’t want trouble. She just wanted someone to talk to. I reached out for advice and slowly helped her see the truth: this wasn’t mentorship—it was manipulation. When confronted, Dante vanished, leaving angry messages behind. She saved them all, then blocked him. Weeks later, she looked lighter. Former students visited. One helped perform a short play she had written herself. The whole block came. She wore her red boa again—this time with pride.
She told me, “Loneliness makes you mistake attention for love.”She’s 79 now. Still writing. Still dramatic. But no longer alone.
Life lesson:
If someone only values you when you’re useful, that’s control—not care.
And sometimes, kindness means knocking again.