When I moved into my charming little studio the first time two and a half years ago, I was high on life. It was one of the most exciting new chapters of my young adult life. I was getting my own place! There was nothing anyone could say to me that would change my mind on my apartment and where it was located or what it looked like. But recent events have made me recap on some "incidents" of the past couple years.
Incident #1
A few months after I moved in, Billie and I were hanging out watching some TV... on a Friday I believe. We were cuddling in our usual cheek to cheek fashion (and to all you non-animal lovers- go get a heart and don't knock it until you experience a bundle of love you live with on a daily). Anyway, Billie perks her head up and head straight to one of my windows. She starts freaking out. I figure she sees a bug or something and didn't think much of it.
But then I hear a popping sound. Billie really goes crazy over this. I am like ok what the heck is happening. So I join her by the window and as I peer outside, I see 10+ cop cars parked all around my building and up and down the street. OH MY LANTA! Popping my ass- that's a gun shot (naive stupid female I am)! And I saw a man hiding by the building right next to me. Holy moly it's like CSI: San Jose and I am an eye witness!
Long story short... A bunch of cops start circling in with their guns. The guy stands there not doing much. He puts his hands up and stands there a little longer. But then starts running at the cops. IDIOT. Bang and bang and down he goes. He left with the ambulance. A squad went into our sister building and out. I walked outside and the cops just yelled at us to go back. I never knew what the guys story was but it was sure intense to watch from 30 feet away.
Incident #2
My friend and I walked to a friends house located a little closer to the heart of downtown. After a couple games of beer pong I just couldn't hang and told him I was going to leave but he was more than welcome to crash at my place when he was tired. He eventually came back and I heard knocking at my door and let him in. But of course that was the second round on knocking...
I was in such a deep sleep, after drinking and all, then I didn't hear Ryan knocking. He decided to sit outside and get some air. But unfortunately, while that happened, three guys jumped him and took everything. I mean everything- even his pack of chewing gum! Luckily, he was physically ok. Of course I still to this day get a little sensitive over the topic. IF I just would have woke up....
Incident #3 and #4
Car break ins. Need I say more?
Incident #5
On a cold winter night.... bahaha I always wanted to say that... I was snug and comfy in my bed. When all of a sudden I hear a man outside my window yelling and saying some truly foul statements. I thought it was a drunk guy passing so I didn't think much of it. But when it kept going, I got a little uncomfortable. And then he was inside our building. He came upstairs and I could hear him in front of my door walking up and down the hall yelling "I am going to kill someone!" Ok very uncomfortable now.
The guy walks back outside and I start watching him like a hawk. He goes over by my car and starts peeing on the wall. Classy guy, really. I hear someone outside the hall again and walk out to see a guy from another unit and his wife talking. They had luckily called the cops. But he was going to go outside and talk with him to get him to get lost or go home or whatever. Apparently this wacko outside was on some hardcore something because he was speaking jibberish. They were standing outside and he kept claiming he lived in the building! None of us recognized him. We didn't believe it. So he told the crazy fella if he really lived in the building then he knew the code to get in. So the wife and I watch from the inside window as this guy tries to yank open the front door and punch a bunch of codes for like 10 minutes! He was nuts. Then he silently stops... and then suddenly puts in a key and opens the door. WTF?? Walks by us, as we are flying into my apartment and walks to the apartment adjacent to mine and walks in as if nothing happened.
No really, what just happened? HE LIVES HERE. Ugh.
Incident #6
More comical than anything but equally frustrating. One Monday night, not too long ago actually, I awoke to a man yelling outside my window to another apartment across the parking lot from me. He kept yelling Juan come here in Spanish. Over and over like a freaking broken record. I was in beautiful deep slumber and this guy was seriously getting on my cranky side. He would not stop! I started pacing because all I wanted to do was sleep and he was so loud! All of a sudden he goes quiet. I am like yes! He is done. So I crawl into bed. Then I just hear this long cry... MARIA and then a bunch of Spanish.
Oh my gosh it's a real life telenovela! You have got to be kidding me! Jose, Ricardo, Luis... whatever your name. Maria chose Juan... GO HOME!
And yes he finally goes home. Wahoo! I snuggle back into bed. And then the cops show up. What do they do? One parks in the parking lot, the other on the street, and guess what? They start yelling at each other and have a freaking conversation. It's a 11:30 at night on a weekday! Seriously?! I was so pissed I walked outside and in a very short and abrupt manner told him my thoughts on the telenovela and that the guy left. He finally decides to leave.
Great I can go back to sleep now. The clock now says 12:30. I am so angry and frustrated at this point even my friends and family wouldn't recognize me. And then Billie comes over and snuggles... Starts cleaning and licking her paws in my ear. I give up. The world hates me. I will never sleep!
Incident #7
Now I am sure you guys are picking up on what I am saying here. I do not live in a safe neighborhood. Whatsoever. But the kicker is the last incident that happened this past weekend.
There has been some weird activity around the building lately. First, Ashley, my friend and neighbor, her bathroom ceiling practically explodes and caves in on her from a burst pipe. That was over a week ago and she still has a massive hole in her bathroom (Thank you slum lord owners for your care in persistence and you live in your fancy mansion in Cordevalle). A white car has been parking all around in people's assigned parking spots. The fire extinguisher glass was broken and shattered all over the hall. There has been yelling and slamming.
This weekend, saturday morning at about 5:45 am, there was a huge bang! It sounded like something blew up. Absolutely shook me to the core. I thought an earthquake was happening. Even Billie ran for the closet! Moments later I hear a car speeding off... that white corolla.
I was told today the real story of what the bang was today.
The white corolla belongs to a cute blonde girl in unit 2 who works for Google. Cute as a button! Sweet girl. But apparently has some serious secrets and issues. And it begins with schizophrenia.
There was a fire detector that was losing its battery life and was beeping constantly. Apparently, when someone of her mind frame, who doesn't take her medication, a consistent beeping sound puts them over the edge (all of this was confirmed by her parents before you guys wonder if I am making it up).
The loud banging sound I heard saturday morning was her banging my door, with a wrench. The only tenants who actually answered their door was the husband and wife I had mentioned in incident #5. And when the husband opened his door, the girl started beating him with the wrench. The whole time she was yelling, "stop the beeping!'
I WISH that these stories were a figment of my imagination. But I have realized, after some people have even pointed out to me, that I live in a shitty place: an unsafe, crazy, terrible neighborhood. All the charm in my apartment has almost faded out.
I need to move.
The End.
