A pair of neighbours have built a bizarre relationship over plants and coffee, despite having never met, and the internet reckons that it’s the future of modern relationships
A mysterious neighbour you’ve never met. A hand-written note through the door. A request to do some gardening while they’re away?
It’s probably not a plot that will be picked up by Netflix for their latest horror series. However, a man in Singapore has gone viral nonetheless. He’s struck up a bizarre relationship with a seemingly anonymous neighbour, after she left him a hand-written message asking for one simple request.
Posting on Threads, Sarit Ray was taken aback by the request to have him “occasionally water the plants if they look a bit sad”, along with the flat and phone number of a person he’d never seen.
Thankfully for the shy lady and her thirsty plants, Sarit was not only enough of a good Samaritan to actually water them, but also an an expert in all things botany, meaning that each plant got the perfect amount of nourishment.
Writing on his Substack, Sarit wrote, “Sure enough, I walked over – five steps away – and there they were: half a dozen houseplants lined up by the window. I watered them every few days (plants in shade; so overwatering would kill them faster than neglect).
“I even fetched plates from my stash to put under a couple that didn’t have any”.
Despite his experience, Sarit was not able to keep the whole collection alive.
He pondered somewhat philosophically “There was a pretty little variegated one I took a cutting from – it didn’t survive, but when you keep plants, you make peace with loss.”
In return for his kindness, Sarit revealed that a bag of artisan coffee was left outside his door, which he assumed was from the mysterious neighbour.
Over on Threads, commenters were quick to celebrate Sarit’s kindness.
One follower replied: “What a great way to ,make a safe connection at home.”
Another wrote: “I’m jealous as I wish you were my neighbour.”
Musing on whether he should ever make contact with shy neighbour, Sarit wrote that he was happy to keep their relationship as it is.
He added: “No knocks, no awkward chats. Just plants and coffee… the code of the urban village.”
Modern life, eh?
