My Neighbors

My immediate neighbors were all white, but culturally diverse. Our first next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman named Mr. Murphy. He was an Irishman and that's about all I remember.
Behind us across Egg Harbor Road on the Deptford side was Mrs. McGregor, also Irish. She was a very gregarious lady who wore glasses and spoke in a wonderful Irish brogue. She always seemed to be laughing. I can hear her laughing now sitting in our kitchen having a cup of tea with Mom.
Immediately across Walnut Ave. were the Arans. They had two sons, Gene and D.D.. I don't think I ever knew what D.D.'s name really was. He was a lot older than me anyway, so he posed no real threat. Gene on the other hand, took great pleasure in teasing me. He was about three years older, and in the 50's that's what older kids did. Next to the Arans were the Gerbers and their two sons, Billy and Mark. Billy was also several years my senior and so didn't pay much attention to me. Mark Gerber was our version of Eddie Haskell; nice and polite to your parents, a worm and a weasel to you. More about him another time. Next came the Collins family. They were a friendly couple that I don't remember too much about, except that Mr. Collins would drink and play cards in my yard with my father and the other neighbors. Next to Mr. Murphy were the Olsens,Arthur and Sophie, a Norwegian couple with very strong Scandanavian accents.
Mr. Olsen had a very rich melodious voice. I always liked they way he said my name: "Yiim."
Sophie Olsen was a little stern and very particular about her yard. It was meticulous in every detail. Well swept sidewalk, immaculate flower gardens and a well-kept hedge all around their yard. You did not mess with Sophie's yard! The Olsens had two children, Arthur Jr. and Sylvia. They were much older than me. Sophie and Arthur Sr. seemed much older than everybody.
I think Mr. Murphy died in his house.
The new neighbors to buy his house were Glenn and Alvina Avis. They were of Polish descent, and Mrs. Avis became Mom's friend. Alvina was closer in age to my mom, so they had a lot in common. Mrs. Avis was a pretty blond with a fiery Eastern European disposition. Mr. Avis was a self-employed landscaper who was kind of quiet. When they cleaned out the attic in their new home they found a still for making whiskey in it. I guess that's the reason old Mr. Murphy was so secretive.
The oddest neighbor was Mrs. Price. She lived next to the Collins family directly across the street from the Olsens. Mrs. Price was a retired schoolteacher and an environmentalist way before her time. Her house was foreboding. It was obscured by trees and covered in moss and dirt and grime. Mrs. Price always looked like she was covered in moss and dirt and grime. Sometimes it seemed that she would rise up out of the ground as you walked past her house. Her home was surrounded by a dense woods and she also owned a large wooded lot across the street next to the Olsens. The property was downright scary. You never walked past her house after dark, you ran, because that was Sleepy Hollow, and when you ran you didn't look back until you got home. Mrs. Price had a son who lived with her named John-John. You didn't see him much but when you did you saw a bespectacled thin man with sharp features. John-John was a will-o-the wisp. He was gone in a flash. I believe he was mentally ill. At the time to us he was just plain freaky.
Mom would tell me that there was nothing to fear about Mrs. Price and John-John. They were people who cared more about plants and animals than people, that's all. Nothing to worry about.
And then Mark Gerber told me that Mrs. Price was a witch.