I'm a well-mannered person

A few weeks ago, the neighbor's wife appeared at the front door of the house. I had to go to open it, despite my reluctance, and immediately asked her: What day is it today?
I had seen that she was holding something in her hands and I understood why she had come - to give something to eat in honor of the dead. Apparently it was such a day today - a day to honor the dead.
"Today is Easter for the dead," she said, "that's what they call it."
I don't know why I had never heard of such a day, I know that in Bulgaria there are several days of honor, but not "Easter". Anyway, then it turned out that this "holiday" was the next day, not that day, but that doesn't really matter either.

The neighbor's wife seemed upset to me, but that's how she always is on such days - not the first time she comes to bring such food. Yet, this time, for the first time, she started talking to me, and I had to listen and participate in the conversation, even though I wasn't interested. And after that conversation, I was even more confused after all the years of living as neighbors in this place.
The woman complained that there was no one to give food to in honor of her dead parents in this village, because they (she and her husband), "like you, we are not local people. And the people here are very strange.", she told me. "In the beginning, when we came here, we tried to socialize and integrate with the people, but then we realized that we can't. People here gather in groups and decide who they like and who they don't. When they decide they don't like someone, they said I shouldn't talk to him, not even greet him. But I couldn't do that. How could I not greet someone who had done nothing wrong to me? So I stopped socializing with them."

I stood and listened, smiling and nodding "in understanding", not knowing what to say. Rather, it was good that I said nothing, none of what I thought. Because...
This same woman, she and her husband were the people who did not greet me for several years after we came to live here. They literally turned their heads the other way when I passed their house or passed each other on the street. For years I persisted and said "Good day" in spite of all this, until finally I just gave up.
One wonderful day, it was after 2000 for sure, I remember that I had already returned from the Camino and I thought that there was some connection between these events, because then suddenly these people spoke to me.

Suddenly they started smiling and stopping me on the street. It's like nothing happened before, like we've always been in this relationship.
I don't know if you can imagine how I feel in this situation. I smile and greet and talk to them, but... I can't forget their inexplicable rudeness years before.
Now perhaps I could have asked this woman the question: how come you personally did not greet me for years without me having done anything wrong to you?
Of course I didn't. I'm a well-mannered person. But did I finally get an explanation as to why I wasn't greeted back? I do not think. No matter how much I pondered afterwards, I could not come to any reasonable conclusion. Did the people in this village not like me and therefore did not want anyone to greet me? Wasn't this woman just told she shouldn't greet me because they don't like me and she obeyed for years until one day she just got fed up and she and her husband stopped doing it ? Now, coming to the door to give food for the dead, does she just want to apologize for what she did and explain in a roundabout and indirect way what happened then and why it happened?

Again, I don't think so. Things have developed over the years in such an absurd way that I'm sure there's no reasonable explanation for that either. Also, we're not talking about some super-intelligent people with a sense of tact. They certainly don't have one. Also, considering the rest of the people in this area, besides not being particularly intelligent, I also think they're not good people either. In general, I think the whole area is quite specific, but it's not like it's some kind of conspiracy theory where there's room for a lot of thinking, where someone had to think a lot about how to act or how to behave.
And also - I don't think that the whole village can take an attitude here. Because we don't communicate with anyone. We just live in the house, we don't go out much and we don't bother anyone. But I was the only victim of this rudeness. Not my partner. The neighbors greet him from the beginning. And for someone to decide they don't like me while they like my partner, that's really crazy when it comes to living in a community, don't you think? Also, like I said, I haven't done anything to anyone.

Anyway, this mystery will remain unsolved. I don't believe these people will ever have the courage to tell me the truth. But the very fact that this woman comes to complain to me about how she doesn't get along with the people here is also strange to me after everything that has happened.
Oh, I'm a well-mannered person, like I said, I'm taught to behave well. I nod and look with understanding, smile, express regret, let her talk, complain. Then I close the door, confused. WTF?
Did I tell you that here the roosters crow all night? I think there is something very deeply wrong with everything here - in humans and animals too. Although animals behave better than humans in most cases.

Thank you for your time! Copyright:	@soulsdetour
	Soul's Detour is a project started by me years ago when I had a blog about historical and not so popular tourist destinations in Eastern Belgium, West Germany and Luxembourg. Nowadays, this blog no longer exists, but I'm still here - passionate about architecture, art and mysteries and eager to share my discoveries and point of view with you.

Personally, I am a sensitive soul with a strong sense of justice.
Traveling and photography are my greatest passions.
Sounds trivial to you?
No, it's not trivial. Because I still love to travel to not so famous destinations.🗺️
Of course, the current situation does not allow me to do this, but I still find a way to satisfy my hunger for knowledge, new places, beauty and art.
Sometimes you can find the most amazing things even in the backyard of your house.😊🧐🧭|