| The
people now living in the house next door seemed to be comprised
of college-age kids, taking advantage of the dirt-cheap rent. We talked
to a few of them, and they seemed genuinely nice. In contrast to our ex-neighbors
and our ex-ex-neighbors, they almost seemed dependable. Now, even though
there were usually crowds of people on the porch, the atmosphere was clear
of the bad vibes that previously seemed to hang over the house like a dark
cloud. Now, when strange things occurred next door, they seemed funny and
not macabre (I know, it's a fine line).
For instance: we heard what sounded like splashing water coming from their house. This went on for several days. At first, we thought they were washing something, and then we thought it was some sort of satanic ritual, but after a few days, we figured out it was coming from their basement, and it was not good. We finally were able to catch someone on their way into the house, and told them. They ran over to the side of the house, where the sounds were clearest, screamed "oh my god!", and ran back into the house. Like I said, funny, but not macabre. When they had a party on Super Bowl Sunday, waves of baseball-capped frat boys descended on our street. If this had happened with our ex-neighbors or our ex-ex-neighbors, this may have been a good time to leave the area for awhile. However, there were no fights, there were no more incidents with our cars (we'd run out of undamaged cars anyways), and the beer cans mostly littered their lawn. We were even invited over (which we declined due to a previous engagement). Things were looking up with our newest neighbors, but like all things, it was bound to end. When their lease was up, they were gone. I don't think there was ever a second thought on their part to stay longer. It was like the breakup of the Beatles (well, okay, maybe it was more like the breakup of the Cars or something) where everyone went their separate ways. We would have been sad to see them go, if we were around to see them go. One day they were there, the next, they were gone. As the french so aptly say, say la veee. 
|+ White heat (at the end of the tunnel)+| Our newest neighbors seem to be the nicest of them all. A single mom, a single child. They stay out of trouble, and even know our names (some times). We're keeping an eye on them, to make sure that they don't stray from the straight and narrow. The house next door seems to have an effect on people, like a dose of Kafka on a bad day, or like watching too many reruns of the Partridge Family. We were frankly concerned for their mental well-being for awhile, but they seem to have successfully exorcised all lingering traces of nastiness. We wait, we watch, and we pray.
| To be continued? | |
Get your own