The Stone That The Builder Rejected, Has Become The Cornerstone.

Last year, our lovely next-door neighbour, knocked our door, I went to the door and Yaquta said, “Please can you come to my home, I would like to ask you a favour.” I followed her to her home. Once inside, she said, “We will be going away for a month to Pakistan, please while we are away, can you put some lights on and open and close our windows?” I said, “Yes of course, it would be an honour to do this for you.”

Yaquta said, “let us swop phone numbers now, so that we can keep in contact while we are away.” We did that, there and then, on WhatsApp.

She said, “On the day that we go, we will leave food for you, in a bag on the kitchen table, you can have what you want, or throw away, what you don’t want,” I said, “No food is thrown away in our home, what we don’t eat, the cats or dogs will have.”  

She said, “I will give you the front door key, on the day that we leave,” I said, “It would be best, if you gave us the key to the back door, that way no one will see us going in, for we have never gone to your home, letting ourselves into your home, by the front door.” I added, “If folks saw us entering and leaving, they would know you are away.” Yaquta said, “That is a great idea.” From the back of the house, we are not overlooked at all, so no one would see us enter or leave. Qasim, the husband then showed me around the house, he said, “Please can you open the windows every day, this will help with the damp,” I said, “No problem, we have damp too in one of our rooms.” I thought it was weird that they too had damp like us, because their home had been done out beautifully by Barrie who was the landlord before they bought the house from him, our home had never been done out like this, so our interior looked a lot older than theirs, yet both homes are well over one hundred years old.

They had managed to park their car outside their home, the day before they left. That’s always a good thing, it shows that you are in.

The first morning that I went over to theirs, it was SO odd! Going into their home, it was strange to compare, for our home is not a show home and neither were theirs. It was a lovely home, as soon as I went into the kitchen, I noticed that a child’s tablet was plugged into the wall, and that it was charging! I unplugged it and left it on the kitchen table. I saw the large bag of food.

The wonderful smell of the house, reminded me of the delicious homemade meals that Qasim has often brought to our home. Many a time, we have said, “What shall we have for dinner?” Then there is a knock on the door and there he is, with hot food covered up in thick foil, on plates, dinner instantly sorted. Or if we have just eaten, then that was dinner sorted for tomorrow. If it is a smaller meal, I always leave it for Paul, as he is a big fan of Asian food. If it is a lot, then we all eat and enjoy it.   

So, on the first day, all the lights in the house were on, I went up the stairs and opened the windows in the two bedrooms at the front of the house, then I went in the back bedroom and opened the window in there, I finally opened the window on the landing. I turned off all the lights upstairs and left the lights on in the front room downstairs and in the lounge. I took the large bag full of food and locked the back door on my way out. It was a BIG responsibility, so as I locked the door, to double checked it was locked, I counted 7 seconds in my mind, as I looked at the door and made sure the handle was locked, by holding it and pressing down. It didn’t open, so in my mind I was 100% satisfied, that it was locked.

When I got back into my home, I texted Yaquta to let her know about the child’s tablet that had been left charging, that I had unplugged it. I thanked her for the lovely food, in the bag there were eggs, milk, bread, potatoes, bananas, and other goodies. I wished them, “A safe trip to Pakistan.”

Yaquta replied, “We forgot to take the tablet for the child who was upset, but he was OK, as he had Qasim’s laptop.”

That night, very late, Paul went over and closed all the windows, and turned off the lights, leaving only the landing light on.

A few days after this, some of our cats became confused, especially my favourite cat Mini G. She followed me to the back door and wanted to go in with me!

I made sure, I gave myself plenty of time to go over to theirs, never leaving it for the last minute. I would always first check that the door was still locked, for that was very important, for it meant that no one had gone in.

I noticed one morning, that there was suddenly lots of water on the kitchen table, where there wasn’t before, not knowing where it was coming from, I got kitchen paper and wiped it up. I picked up the post from the mat and put it on the shelf nearby and removed the junk mail that was stuck in the letterbox half outside and half inside, if left for a month, this would show that there is no one home.

I turned off the landing light, and opened all the windows upstairs, just a fraction, downstairs, I put the front room light on and the lounge, making sure, both the doors were wide open so it would shed light in the hallway at the front and into the large kitchen at the back. I locked the back door, with the same routine each time, 7 seconds in my head looking at it, seeing that it is locked. Putting the key back on the hook on the kitchen wall, ready for Paul later.

The water was still there again a few days later, so I took a small video, I sent it to Yaquta, so that she could see it for herself. She said, “I think it is the boiler; we have spent SO much money on repairs.” I replied, “I thought it was only us who had a leaking boiler, ours drips onto the kitchen floor.” Each time I went, it was using up too much of their kitchen paper, so I needed a large towel, I went into their bathroom and on the radiator in there I got the large bath towel, folding it in half, I put it on the kitchen unit where the water kept coming and it was perfect, it soaked up all the water. I took a picture and sent it to Yaquta.

On another day, I noticed in the parents’ bedroom that their telly was on standby, so I turned if off at the mains, and let her know.

One morning, as I went into the house, I could hear music coming from upstairs! It alarmed me a little, for the house was always quiet, I went upstairs with caution, and as I got to the top of the stairs, I realized the music was coming from next door!

It was lovely to observe, another life, there was a child’s piano in one of the bedrooms, above the bed of the parent’s room was a large beautiful painting, if I was to describe it, I would say, it looked like paradise. There were lovely pictures of the children on the walls, and a photo each of the parents when they had graduated from different universities. There was also a lovely picture of their wedding day. Like us, they had clothes on all the radiators. There were various drinking water bottles in the kitchen and the bedrooms, one was on the large desk in the other bedroom. On the large landing, was the iron board, ready to use, that is always a good thing, it saves time and no need to store it somewhere else. I also saw on the landing carpet and in the parents’ bedroom the distinctive burn mark of the iron! It was lovely to see some of the many books, some by Beatrix Potter, J.K. Rowling, and books in different languages. It looked like a busy, organized home.         

It was Winter and cold, and the heating was on, on some days. I said, to Yaquta, “It is a good thing, that you left the heating on, as it is freezing here.” Yaquta replied, “I control the heating from here, I turn it off and on using my mobile.” I said, “WOW, technology is fantastic!” It was comforting to see the steam coming out of the large cylinder tube, to show that the heating was on.

I noticed that the light on the dishwasher was on, I looked at it, but didn’t know how to turn it off, I didn’t want to switch anything off at the mains in case I turned off something I shouldn’t. I took a short video to show the flashing light, and said, “I don’t know how to turn it off.” Yaquta replied, “If you open the door, the off switch is in there, at the top.” I did and it was, I had never seen a dishwasher like that before.

Whenever I sent a text, I would always start it with the words, “All is well here….” One day, Yaquta said, “We are SO thankful to you and Paul, we would like to bring you back a gift from Pakistan, what would you like?” Without hesitation I said, “My favourite chocolates, is Ferrero Rocher, you can buy them from the Town here, after you return home.” I added, “I will ask Paul what he would like.” Without hesitation Paul said, “Please can you ask the children to each pick a stone that they like, from the beach.” That is an Artist, with a Degree in Fine Art! Yaquta said, “Yes,” To both requests, she would, “Get the children to choose a stone they like, from the beach and I will buy you Ferrero Rocher chocolates on my return home.”

Another thing I also did, was use their bins, very late at night, at about 2am to 3am I would go next door where our bins are at the front of the house, and I would put rubbish in them, so that when it was bin day, I again put them out ready for the binmen. Their bins were not full, and I hoped, it still meant that they would be emptied. I was chuffed when I returned from work and they were empty.

I felt it was a job, well done, and that Paul and myself worked great as a team.

When I heard what Paul wanted back from Pakistan, it reminded me of the verse from the Bible :-

The stone that the builders rejected, has become the cornerstone. Psalms Chapter 118 Verse 22.

Those ordinary stones, that were on the beach in Pakistan, will be beautifully painted, when Paul has finished with them. I wouldn’t be surprised, if he then gives it back to the children. What a great memory they will have, to finish of their amazing holiday they had in the sun.