Laughter

Where we lived before in Ft. Myers, there were condos across the lake and road behind our house. A couple of guys rented one of the units and they were waiters at a restaurant out on Sanibel. During the winter, E and I would sleep with our French doors open to the lanai so we could catch the cool breezes that would blow our sheer curtains and sooth us to sleep.

From time to time, the two renters would have a few others over, light a fire in an outdoor fire pit and, across the lake would waft the tinkling sounds of their laughter. It must have been a night before a day off or one that they did not have to get up before noon as we could hear them often into the wee hours of the morning. They were not loud or obnoxious but rather joyful. Their soft mummers of conversation and the warm laughter would put smiles on our faces as we drifted off to sleep.

Our new neighborhood is very quiet and serene. We do hear lots of birds and, moreso on weekends, boats off the river and occasionally a hiker or biker in the park but mostly we hear silence. I miss the laughter.