My Neighbour Told Me to Stop Cooking Smelly FoodThen Things Took a Turn
Id just moved into a new flat in a three-storey terrace house. There were two neighbours next to meone a young couple with two kids, and the other a middle-aged woman named Margaret, who lived alone.
I reckoned Id get on with them just fine, having never had issues with neighbours before. But that changed after a strange encounter with the woman next door.
One Friday evening, I was making dinner when the doorbell rang. To my surprise, it was Margaret. She complained that the smell of garlic from my flat was seeping through the wall, so strong it put her off watching her favourite telly. She asked me to go easier on the garlic next time.
I was taken aback but didnt argue, brushing it off. The next week, I cooked my favourite chicken and garlic pasta. Days later, the landlord knocked on my door. Someone had complained about a persistent odour problem.
At first, I was furious shed gone behind my back. Then I decided to fix it properly. The next time I cooked, I took a plate over to Margaret and said with a grin, Maybe the smell was too tempting, and you just fancied a bite.
Everything shifted then. She looked startled but took the plate and invited me in. Over tea, she told me how garlic bread used to be her favourite as a girl. But her late husband hated the smell, so shed avoided garlic for years. My cooking had brought it all back, leaving her frustrated shed denied herself for so long.
The next day, she left a thank-you note on my doorstep, saying the food was lovely. Now, I always make extra for herand sometimes, we even cook together.
