A pleasant neighborly moment

[redbird]

A few days ago, cattitude walked into the apartment, and explained that he'd just run into our neighbor Heather, who had gotten home from a hard day at work and had no milk for her tea, so he was bound on a mission of mercy. He poured about half a cup of milk into a plastic tumbler, and went out again for a couple of minutes, and observed that we'd be getting the tumbler back later.

This morning, the bell rang. I saw Heather and explained that I wasn't dressed (it's hot, and I had no plans to go back out), and opened the door a little bit. She said "Repayment in kind" and handed me, along with the tumbler, a glass bowl containing half a dozen small apples. I thanked her, told her she'd have the bowl back soon, and took it inside.

I have eaten one of the apples, and suspect it of having been picked too soon. One or the other of us will likely try another, but regardless of apple quality, the thought was kind.

Comments

[don-fitch.livejournal.com]

A kind thought, yes, and an Old Tradition -- one does not return, empty, the container in which one was given food. (Or, perhaps, some other things, but most especially food.) Often, this return-gift would be a token item, commonly a small box of matches back in the days when every household used and needed matches. Whether this etiquette-style would call for you to put something in the glass bowl when you return it is not clear to me -- but then, I've never been quite confident about when a response-exchange of emails or lj comments can be politely ceased after all substantial communication has been exhausted.

[redbird]

I'd never seen the bowl before, but this may be part of the tradition you describe. Andy wasn't thinking of the milk as a loan, but as emergency supplies--he takes milk seriously, and I take tea seriously.