If Walls Could Talk

I've lived in the same house for many years. Over the years new families have come and gone, but one thing has always remained the same. That's me, my name is Mr. Wall. My friends call me Wally.

Some times have been better than others but most of all, my life has been extremely interesting. I went through the whole hippie phase back in the 60s. I was out of sight! I really rocked those neon colors under the black lights.

I loved the music and friends I got to hang out with on the weekends. We always had a lot of laughs, but at the end of the night I always felt really, really hungry.

I felt so much love in the air. I eventually outgrew those neon colors, I even had a tattoo of a Smiley face giving the peace sign on my butt. Can you believe it, me!

I remember when Bobby went off to college, and the Shellburns decided to move away to Colorado. It was a tearful day. We sat and cried for hours reminiscing of all the fun we had.

Soon after Shirley and Bill moved in. They were from Chicago. Their last name was Bonaduce. I was always feeling sick when I was around them. When they had first moved in, whoa, did they have some rocky years.

Every few months they would have an awful fight around me. I ended up having to get a few paint jobs while hanging out around them. Man, could Bill throw a punch. 

Eventually, Shirley left Bill. She had come home from work one night to find Bill in bed with Rita, the next door neighbor. After that it was Bill and Rita every day all day. Until Rita came home to find Bill with Janice.

That Bill, thought he was God's gift to women. Ha, ha, who was he kidding. I think the women actually liked me more. They would pick out my new wardrobe and even buy me nice accessories to go with. This one year I got a brand new clock, and some pretty expensive wall art to show off.

I guess Janice was cheating on her husband with Bill. It was odd the way things ended. One night Bill was there, and Janice's husband came by. He said they should go get a few Bresky's down the block and talk. After that I never saw Bill again. 

When the movers came I overheard them talking. They said Bill had gone on a permanent vacation. Him and Janice were somewhere down under. I think that meant Australia. I guess they liked swimming with the fishes there.

Soon this loving couple moved in. Cindy and Charles, the newlyweds from Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner, oh such a lovely couple. That was during my blue phase. It always smelt so nice throughout the house.

She used to bake cookies every Christmas, and then she stopped once they brought home the babies. Yep, twins. Christopher, and Melanie. They had such cute smiles, but did they have a set of lungs on them. All that crying gave me such headaches. I remember like it was yesterday.

I felt so awful for Cindy she hardly got any sleep when they were first born. She looked like hell. Her hair was always a mess, and she would wear the same clothes for days. Between you, me, and the other walls I think some days she didn't even shower.

I really thought they were going to stay here forever. But a year after the twins were born Charles lost his job, and started drinking. Then one day it was just Cindy, Christopher, and Melanie.

I mostly saw Christopher and Melanie over the years. Cindy had gone back to school to get a better paying job to support the twins. She also worked long hours so they could stay here, and would not have to move out too.

That Cindy, such a hard worker. She always put the kids first. She was the first one up in the morning, and the last one to go to bed at night. Some nights she would skip dinner. She would tell the kids she wasn't hungry, but I had a feeling they did not have much food.

After the twins got older and started having sleepovers at their friends' houses Cindy started dating. My, oh, my, oh, my, did she pick some real winners.

At first Pete would visit us for a few months, then Tommy. There was this one time where she brought George by. Then we saw Tommy again. A few years later it was Paul, Duncan, and then Harold. 

Then all the dating just stopped. She had finally realized that men just brought out the worst in her. She became such an independent woman after Charles left. She really did not need a man there after all.

Yeah, I could tell it broke her heart that the twins had to grow up without a father. There were many nights where we would stay up late together. We just sat in silence looking at one another as she sipped some wine.

It was almost like being on a roller-coaster ride while hanging out with her. A few years would go by and we would have lots of fun. Birthday parties were the best. Family and friends would stop by. Then everything stopped.

It was a dark time. The kids were off with their friends more. Cindy was exhausted, running on fumes for the last decade. We spent a lot of time together sitting in the dark. 

I knew she loved her kids with all her heart, but there were days she would not leave the sofa. She struggled with maintaining the house. Some nights she wouldn't even cook. 

She hated it, she hated what her life had become. There were times where she would get so irritated. She would yell at everyone around her. But things eventually got better. To be honest I think she finally saw someone and started taking "Happy" pills.

She almost seemed like her old self. She began cooking some really nice family meals. Then every once in a while she would step out with some girlfriends. The kids were in junior high school by now and trust me did those years have some challenges.

The twins were so different from each other. Christopher would wear all black. I think the kid even wore eyeliner and nail polish. His hair was always spiky and for some reason, I will never know why, he wore a spiked dog collar around his neck.

Melanie on the other hand wore baggy pants, mid drift tops, white sneakers, and dyed her hair purple that year. She danced around the house playing that hippity hop music. Man, what I wouldn't give for some R & B.

A few years went by and the kids looked a bit more normal. Christopher had gone from skateboard wannabe to playing basketball, and eventually went onto college. Melanie started to wear more girlie clothes and decided to go to school for hair and makeup. 

They both eventually moved out and it was just Cindy and yep, you guessed it. Good old Mr. Wall.