Harold was finally sleeping in his recliner. Nancy stood in her kitchen, listening to the noise rise and fall beyond the glass.
Ignore it, she told herself. She made a cup of tea.
The noise continued. She turned on the radio. The machine somehow seemed louder.
Finally, she slammed her mug down, pulled on her blue cardigan, and marched across the shared lawn.
Elena stood on her patio, blowing damp leaves into a neat pile beside the fence. Thick ear protection covered her head. Nancy stopped just outside the low gate.
"Elena!"
No response.
Nancy unlatched the gate and stepped through. "Elena, I am talking to you."
Elena finally looked over. She reached up and pulled one side of the heavy earmuffs away. "What?"
"You need to stop."
"I’m almost finished, Nancy."
"You said that last time."
"I’m clearing the patio for my mother."
"You’ve been doing this all week."
"Because leaves keep falling!" Elena shot back.
"Turn it off."
Elena rolled her eyes and snapped the hearing protection back over her ear, turning her back.
That small, dismissive action transformed Nancy’s simmering irritation into blind fury. She stepped fully onto the patio. Elena continued working, oblivious. Nancy lunged forward and grabbed the hard plastic tube of the blower.
Elena gasped and jerked it back. "Don’t touch my equipment!"
"I’m trying to talk to you!"
"Then wait until I’m done!"
"No. You’ll listen now." Nancy reached up and grabbed the main handle of the blower.
For several agonizing seconds, the two women struggled over the heavy machine. The motor screamed between them, blowing air wildly against the fence.
"Let go!" Elena shouted.
Nancy reached across the machine and clamped her hand hard around Elena’s forearm. "Turn it off!"
"Take your hands off me!"
Suddenly, the sliding glass door slid open on its track. Maya stood in the threshold, her small dog barking frantically at her feet. "Mom?"
Distracted, Elena released her grip on the blower to push Nancy’s hand away. The heavy machine fell against a folding chair with a plastic clatter. Nancy stumbled backward but kept her footing.