My Son Went to the Neighbor’s House Every Day ‘To Cook’ – One Day I Walked In and Had to Call the Police

My Son Visited Our Neighbor Daily ‘To Cook’ – I Walked in One Day and Called the Police

In our cul-de-sac, my son made friends with the one neighbor who everyone shunned, including me. I was only a little worried at first, then all of a sudden he started bringing money home. HE WAS JUST 7 YEARS OLD. After I looked into it, the police arrived at her residence.

When I suggest you should always be on the lookout when your kids are around other adults, any parent can relate. Regardless of their identity, it is advisable to use caution. Some even exercise caution around family members.

Even the most reclusive individual in our area seemed fine to me, though.

Allow me to provide some background: I’m Kayla, a thirty-two-year-old single mother to my son, Eli, who is seven years old.

We reside in a quiet neighborhood. Everyone in the cul-de-sac has a well-kept yard, and most people wave or nod as they pass. Nearly everyone’s name is familiar to us.

My home is comfortable and filled with small projects that Eli and I work on together, such as the outdoor vegetable garden. We even created a homemade bird feeder a few months back.

As a result, I was confident that my son would like doing home repairs and lending a hand to others. For this reason, what followed was initially just mildly odd.

I’ve always been a little uneasy about the house at the end of our block. It’s an old, ivy-covered home with wild hedges and now too-big oak trees everywhere.

Children would challenge one another to go there on Halloween. Ms. Eleanor, our neighbor, resides there. Unlike some of our other elderly neighbors, she is a complete recluse who is well past her seventies. Her drapes are constantly closed, and she is also enigmatic.

People here talk about her occasionally since she’s so unusual and doesn’t seem to fit in. Nothing too wild is going on.

To be honest, I didn’t care enough to contact her, even though I’ve thought about her life. Nevertheless, I dismissed anyone who even made a negative suggestion about her. It was decided to let Ms. Eleanor live her life as she pleased.

Things changed at this point. Eli rushed through the main door one day after school and yelled, “Mom! This is unbelievable! I was requested to prepare cookies with Ms. Eleanor.

As I stirred the stew I was preparing for supper that day, I blinked. “Ms. Eleanor? What about the woman at the end of the street?

“Yes! We’re creating them out of nothing, she continued. Please let me leave.

His query confused me. “Ms. Eleanor… asked you to visit her home.”

It didn’t appear like she was the “baking with kids” kind.

Eli, however, claimed he would love to learn and nodded enthusiastically. To be honest, I was a terrible baker, but I was a fantastic cook.

I agreed and shrugged. “Alright, but remember to be polite and come home before dinner, okay?”

“I’m grateful, Mom! He said, “See ya!” and hurried out the door.

The thought of my son being kind to the only lonely person in the area made me smile, but it also a little unsettling. After all, I had never met Ms. Eleanor.

I had never spoken to her despite having lived in the neighborhood since my son was one year old. However, she was elderly; what harm could she possibly cause?

Eli brought home a tray of cookies that night. “Look! I had to make these myself, thanks to Ms. Eleanor. “I had to pay attention to the oven clock and everything,” he exclaimed with pride.

I could tell he was excited, even if they were a little burned. “Honey, they look amazing! Did you enjoy yourself?

“Yes! Her kitchen resembles a motion picture! Everything is outdated! She added that she could create anything I wanted.

During supper, he shared a plethora of more things with me, and by the time he went to bed, I was incredibly proud of him. He was likely aware of how other people perceived Ms. Eleanor. But all he saw was a real person who could impart knowledge.

I was bringing up a decent child! I pondered, and my previous concerns vanished.

Eli kept going to see Ms. Eleanor, and every day he brought something fresh from her home. He appeared to be very content and was learning a lot. He might become a pastry chef in the future.

On “Cake Boss,” I was imagining my son when he showed there with an envelope in his hand. “Look, Mom! I’m getting paid by Ms. Eleanor.

As my son removed a $10 dollar from the envelope, I raised my eyebrows but said nothing.

“What do you mean paying you?”

Eli grinned at the bill and stated, “She said that since she’s eating, too, I deserve some money,”

“I suppose that’s kind of her. But I’m not sure, honey. She is instructing you and purchasing all the ingredients. Did you help her out with any chores or something?

He gave a headshake. He responded, “No, I just stir,” and scratched his head away. “Oh! After she washes the dishes, I also assist her in drying everything. She doesn’t have a washing machine, so it’s difficult.

As I tried not to worry too much about this, my son continued to babble. Allowing him to keep her money felt immoral. But did that do any harm?

But things became more bizarre the next week. There was $20 in another envelope that Eli brought home.

This time, I couldn’t let that go. There was a problem. An elderly woman on a fixed income must have been retired. She was paying him, but why? What was going on over there?

I sat down with him and spoke in a calm tone. “Please tell me what’s happening with Ms. Eleanor, Eli, honey. She keeps giving you money, but why? What’s going on in her residence?

It’s for all of the assistance I’m providing her. Correct? As you mentioned, the chores? “No?”

“Perhaps, but she’s already helping you and buying ingredients. It’s wrong to take more from her. Are you certain that the only activity taking place there is baking? You can tell me.

“No, mother! She simply enjoys baking with me,” he murmured, averting his gaze. Like he often did when he was concealing anything, he started to fidget.

“Eli…” I cautioned.

“All right… We’re doing something else. However, it’s unexpected. I can’t tell you, but it’s good.”

“No, Eli. I said, “You can’t keep things from your mother.” I was becoming harsh. “I don’t think you should be going there anymore until I talk to her.”

“Hold on! No! You’ll spoil the surprise, Mom! “Please!” Eli let out a cry. “Please don’t; I’ll return the money. Hold on. “The surprise is nearly ready!”

I nodded and sighed, but I couldn’t let it go.

The following day, when Eli was in school, I ruminated on this circumstance. And I’ll admit that my thoughts wandered.

Could it be that Ms. Eleanor was not merely being “nice?” What if her intentions were different?

I called Mrs. Olivers, who lived just five homes away from Ms. Eleanor, after becoming extremely anxious. Should I prevent my son from coming over there? I questioned her.

But when I told her everything, she sneered. “Please, Kayla. Contrary to what the children claim, Ms. Eleanor is not a witch. You should be happy that your son likes to spend time with senior citizens. If he wants to help out around my place, send him my way.”

That didn’t help. I needed to discover the real situation. But I had a plan because I didn’t want to disappoint my son.

I informed Eli that I would drop him off at Ms. Eleanor’s residence after he got home from school. As we approached, he simply shrugged in confusion.

However, as we approached, he immediately inside, and before I could even talk to Ms. Eleanor, my child waved the door and said “bye” to me.

I went around the house instead of returning home. The drawn curtains were an issue, but I managed to peep in via a little space at the back. My jaw dropped at what I witnessed.

Eli wasn’t in the kitchen with Ms. Eleanor, but he was there. They were seated at a table, and on top of it I could see some papers, maybe pictures.

Additionally, Ms. Eleanor was present, directing him while keeping an eye on him. I got chills from this scene for some reason. Was it a ritual of some sort?

After much confusion, I was eventually able to determine that they weren’t actually baking!

I was fortunate to discover the back door unlocked when I walked there because I could no longer hide there. I rushed in, prepared to protect my child.

“What on earth is going on here?” I stomped over to them and blurted.

The face of Ms. Eleanor become ghastly white. “Kayla, I… I didn’t expect you…”

I didn’t even give her any attention. Although I was certain that the papers on the table were pictures, I was horrified by what they showed: Eli and I traveling the town.

I took some candid pictures at local potlucks and around town, while others came straight from my social media accounts. I was appalled by some of the pictures that showed him alone.

What did I allow my son to enter, God?

However, I didn’t have time to figure that out. I needed to do something now. “I’m calling the police!”

“No!” I was already on the phone when Ms. Eleanor begged.

Eli’s face was flushed with shame, and his eyes were enormous. I didn’t care, though. I knew better since I was his mother.

When the police came, my son and I were outside. After two officers exited the vehicle, I gave them my limited knowledge, which likely baffled them. However, when they arrived at Ms. Eleanor’s home, they paid attention to my worries.

Eli said, “Mom,” for the millionth time.

With a “hush, hon,” I spoke. “I am aware that you believe everything is OK. However, there is.

Before one of the police emerged, we were silent for a few minutes. I longed to hear the old woman’s explanation, so she told me to step inside while wearing a sweet smile that I couldn’t understand.

Even if she was a police officer, I wouldn’t leave Eli with a stranger, but I also didn’t want to move back in with him.

Ms. Eleanor said, “Kayla, I didn’t mean to scare you,” as soon as I entered.

“Really? Perhaps you could discourage my son from keeping things from me as a “surprise.” I shot back, and the officer shot me a frustrated glance.

Ms. Eleanor reached for one of the pictures on the table, her hands shaking. Her voice was somber as she said, “I know I should’ve explained sooner, but… I just didn’t know how,”

I could feel my rage building as the officer nodded gently to her, but I held my tongue and waited for her to continue.

With a trembling breath, Ms. Eleanor turned to face Eli. She whispered, “Your son… he reminded me of my own grandson.” “He and my daughter both died a few years ago. Since then, I’ve been by myself. He was about Eli’s age.

My lungs were completely empty. However, I was not so easily placated. “I-I’m so-sorry for your loss, but that doesn’t explain the money and the photos of us.”

She nodded, looking down. “Eli mentioned that your birthday was approaching and that a scrapbook was one of the greatest presents I’ve ever gotten. He thought that was a great idea. I believe he collected all those pictures from the computer and a few neighbors. I’ve been paying him to have them printed in the library at his school.

Everyone was staring at me, and I had lost my indignation. I glanced down at my child, who was smiling a little but disappointedly. “But why didn’t you tell me, Eli?” I inquired.

Eli shrugged and replied, “I also took pictures from your private box, but I wanted it to be a surprise.” “Ms. Eleanor said I should tell you the money was payment for the baking help.”

Ms. Eleanor went on, “That was wrong of me,” “It would have been preferable to tell the truth. However, after years of being unable to interact with others, your boy has brightened my life in the last several weeks. My goal was to assist him in the same way that he has assisted me. Having a secret between us, as I did with my grandson, was pleasant.

As the reality set in, my face heated up and my heart tightened. I would misinterpret everything. I had also let my imagination to go wild.

I apologized profusely, and the policemen departed. When it was just the three of us, I inhaled deeply.

I told my son, “I’m sorry for ruining the surprise, Eli,” even though I knew he had already shown forgiveness. I turned to face the elder woman, though. “I apologize for ever having negative thoughts about you. Perhaps we can work together to complete the scrapbook. “As an expression of regret?”

Ms. Eleanor’s eyes watered and her face brightened. “I’d love that.”

Suddenly, everything in my world was back to normal. Better yet, we saw Ms. Eleanor soon begin to open up to the outside world.

After word spread that she got along well with kids, she began watering her plants, chatting with passersby, offering cookies to other kids, and even helping with babysitting.

She sent some food with me, but she found neighborhood potlucks a bit too much. She may never be the most gregarious person, but this was more than sufficient, to be honest.

That’s what my son did for her, and that’s the sign of a very great person.