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I responded in another thread about some neighbors we had and it got the memories flowing. We lived in this complex for from May 1997-Jan. 2000. There were 14 apartments total.
The Angry One
Our church helped us find this place and thought it would be good for one of their members that lived there. We started off pretty good. Hubby and I were still newlyweds of 6 months, expecting our first baby and some of the older women took me under their wing. This one particular lady, E, was from a European country, saw a lot of war in her youth, and currenty in bad health. She'd spend an hour on the bus to and from work each day. So the Man took pity and offered to pick her up one day. Well, he got lost. That's when we realized this woman had almost zero patience. Within a couple of weeks of moving in, we were on her bad side. She never forgave him for not getting there in time (if she'd waited 15 minutes, she would have had the ride), and our relationship grew more and more sour for the remaining time of our residency. Her and the Man had a couple of shouting matches. Although she did soften for a few minutes when our son was born and she came over to see how we were.
She was so bitter, she would get off the bus if she saw the Man was driving or eitherof us was riding. She would get up and loudly walk out if the Man or I spoke in church. She tried to spread nasty rumors about us at church, but they all knew how she was and no one believed a word. She would call up the transit company and complain about the Man, trying to get him fired. And even with all this, she did not make our lives miserable one whit. She was a minor little thorn in our side, and fortunately we were surrounded by people who took the time to get to know us and love us.
The Flirt
The Flirt, L, was an older lady that moved in shortly after we did. She was a lonely older lady that took a liking to the Man. She was more a nuisance than a threat. She was always looking for him to do stuff for her. She was also the type that never knew when to leave. She'd come over, and being the young naive hospitable one I was, I'd let her in and she'd stay for hours, waiting for him to come home. The Man said don't let her in, so I'd stand there at the door with my big pregnant belly for an hour, trying whatever I could to get her to leave short of closing the door in her face. L's mentally ill daughter came to live with her for a while, so then they'd both come over. I don't think the daughter ever heard of bathing. She'd use the phone and I'd disinfect it afterwards. I ended up going to the hospital one day when she thought she was having a miscarriage. Only time I ever rode in an ambulance. It was a huge relief when the daughter moved out.
Shortly after our son was born, we moved to another apartment within the complex. It was right next to L's, though our doors faced different directions. She also got a job about the same time. She'd come home from work, come straight to my door and wait 2-4 hours for the Man to come home. I was a light and air kind of person - I always kept the door open (and the screen locked), and the blinds open. It got to where I would close them all shortly before I knew she would be arriving home (and I hated feeling so shut in). Then I'd peek out a window and watch her pick up her mail, watch my door for a few minutes before retreating to her own apartment. Thank goodness she couldn't see our door unless she actually came out of her apartment and out of the hallway.
She had an old beast of a car. We had no car, so a leader at church set us up to ride with her. She had one seat belt - the front seat passenger. So that's where we had to put our son's carseat. She wanted the Man to sit in the middle between her and the baby. She was always trying to get me to reveal our bedroom life. Seriously. Ugh, I don't even want to elaborate on that. She was totally in love with the Man. He thought it was cute. I wanted her to go away. I would hide after church while waiting for the Man to finish with a meeting because I was tired of being sucked into her vortex (this was before we were riding with her, and she'd hang out waiting for him).
Then finally she had an opportunity to move in with another daughter in another state. So the apartment manager (who I'd become pretty tight with shortly after we moved in) and I threw her a going away dinner. The AM seated us so L wasn't next to the Man, however L tried playing footsies with him under the table and got AM's feet instead, lol. When it came time for her to leave, the Man had conveniently situated himself in the next room, on the other side of the baby gate that she couldn't get over. Didn't stop her from getting a goodbye hug though. When he left for work at 5 am the next day, she was waiting for him.
A couple of years after we moved, AM told us she come back looking for us. AM refused to tell her where we were. Sometimes I think I see that car and I tense up for a minute.
The Dirty Old Man
The Dirty Old Man was the long time resident there. He smoked like an oil refinery on fire. I'd hold my breathe as I passed his apartment, it was that bad. I had dropped one of the baby's toys in front of his apartment once and when I got home an hour later, he ran out and gave it to me. The thing reeked of cigarettes. I don't think he ever slept. He rented his rooms out and there were quite the variety of people that lived with him over the years: strippers, prostitutes, gigolos, you get the picture. He was also desperate to become the manager there and thought that he could enter anyones apartment at any time. And remember, he was a dirty old man. Use your imagination.
Last I heard of him, he'd been evicted and it took thousands of dollars to clean that place up.
The Cab Driver
He was actually pretty awesome. But he also had a bad smoking habit. It made him cough constantly, and we could hear it through the walls. For a week after the baby was born and he'd cry all night, I worried about bothering him. I was passing his door one day and he stuck his head out and asked when I'd had the baby. He couldn't even hear all the crying, because he was hard of hearing. Also, he worked at night. I never felt bad for vacuuming at 10pm anymore.
When he moved out, we got the
Welfare Fraud
This complex hadn't allowed children before, but made an exception for us. And them because we were good tenants, the manager decided to let another family with kids in. Mistake. She wanted the AM to sign a welfare statement that she lived there alone with the kids. AM refused because boyfriend also lived there. The kids went to daycare even though mom did not work. She stayed home and drank all day. When the kids were home, there was always screaming, yelling and crying. They didn't last long. The AM kicked them out.
And the creme de la creme
The Miser and the Player
They were the ones that moved into the apartment whose kitchen and living room bordered our bedroom. The ones that liked to fight at 2 am. When we met them, they were cool. Everything seemed good with them. Her and I hit it off because we grew up in the same area and had a common acquaintance (she was good friend with my piano teacher's son). It was a few months before it fell apart. She was a miser. She worked 2 jobs, but rarely paid for anything. If she did buy something, he had to pay her back. I heard them fight about him paying her back for a pair of shoes she bought herself. And even as things went bad, she desperately wanted a baby. It was very awkward when my friend and I, both of us pregnant (me with #2), were assigned to visit her through church.
He bought a car, but for whatever reason, was not allowed to drive it (something legal). But he did. We mentioned to her once about how he'd come home with the radio blasting and we were afraid he'd wake up the baby (his parking space was right under the baby's window). We thought she knew. Apparantly she didn't. Cue huge fight later that night. He'd take his cordless phone and talk to a girlfriend right outside my bedroom window. I was in bed reading one night and heard him say "I love you." I knew that the wife was inside watching TV. I think I stopped breathing for a minute. The Man was the only one I told. He pulled all kinds of crap and we wondered how she didn't know he was cheating on her. It was so obvious to us. Turns out she was playing ignorant until she could find another guy to pay her way. We finally confronted her with all the crap (not knowing about her playing ignorant), and I guess it just wouldn't look right after the neighbors had figured it out, so she moved out. She lived with the AM for a few months until she moved into another apartment in the complex. AM and I helped her move her stuff in her dad brought from storage and I couldn't believe all the trash. She was a true miser, if it had any life left, she saved it. And to further prove her miserly ways, she would sneak into the AM's apartment (she hadn't returned the key yet) at night while AM was at work and use her shower. She just couldn't pay for the electricity to heat the water. AM suspected as much and mentioned it to me, and then one night I actually saw The Miser go into AM's apartment. I was across the courtyard and there were 2 rows of bushes between us, so she never saw me. AM demanded her key back after that.
The player eventually moved out.
A few months after we moved away, AM told us that The Miser's boyfriend came and got her late one night. The Miser was very sick. AM went up to the apartment and Miser wouldn't let her turn any lights on. Also said it was very cold up there - Miser wouldn't turn on the heat. I think Miser ended up having surgery. She stayed around for a couple of years before moving on.
It really was like a soap opera living there.
The Angry One
Our church helped us find this place and thought it would be good for one of their members that lived there. We started off pretty good. Hubby and I were still newlyweds of 6 months, expecting our first baby and some of the older women took me under their wing. This one particular lady, E, was from a European country, saw a lot of war in her youth, and currenty in bad health. She'd spend an hour on the bus to and from work each day. So the Man took pity and offered to pick her up one day. Well, he got lost. That's when we realized this woman had almost zero patience. Within a couple of weeks of moving in, we were on her bad side. She never forgave him for not getting there in time (if she'd waited 15 minutes, she would have had the ride), and our relationship grew more and more sour for the remaining time of our residency. Her and the Man had a couple of shouting matches. Although she did soften for a few minutes when our son was born and she came over to see how we were.
She was so bitter, she would get off the bus if she saw the Man was driving or eitherof us was riding. She would get up and loudly walk out if the Man or I spoke in church. She tried to spread nasty rumors about us at church, but they all knew how she was and no one believed a word. She would call up the transit company and complain about the Man, trying to get him fired. And even with all this, she did not make our lives miserable one whit. She was a minor little thorn in our side, and fortunately we were surrounded by people who took the time to get to know us and love us.
The Flirt
The Flirt, L, was an older lady that moved in shortly after we did. She was a lonely older lady that took a liking to the Man. She was more a nuisance than a threat. She was always looking for him to do stuff for her. She was also the type that never knew when to leave. She'd come over, and being the young naive hospitable one I was, I'd let her in and she'd stay for hours, waiting for him to come home. The Man said don't let her in, so I'd stand there at the door with my big pregnant belly for an hour, trying whatever I could to get her to leave short of closing the door in her face. L's mentally ill daughter came to live with her for a while, so then they'd both come over. I don't think the daughter ever heard of bathing. She'd use the phone and I'd disinfect it afterwards. I ended up going to the hospital one day when she thought she was having a miscarriage. Only time I ever rode in an ambulance. It was a huge relief when the daughter moved out.
Shortly after our son was born, we moved to another apartment within the complex. It was right next to L's, though our doors faced different directions. She also got a job about the same time. She'd come home from work, come straight to my door and wait 2-4 hours for the Man to come home. I was a light and air kind of person - I always kept the door open (and the screen locked), and the blinds open. It got to where I would close them all shortly before I knew she would be arriving home (and I hated feeling so shut in). Then I'd peek out a window and watch her pick up her mail, watch my door for a few minutes before retreating to her own apartment. Thank goodness she couldn't see our door unless she actually came out of her apartment and out of the hallway.
She had an old beast of a car. We had no car, so a leader at church set us up to ride with her. She had one seat belt - the front seat passenger. So that's where we had to put our son's carseat. She wanted the Man to sit in the middle between her and the baby. She was always trying to get me to reveal our bedroom life. Seriously. Ugh, I don't even want to elaborate on that. She was totally in love with the Man. He thought it was cute. I wanted her to go away. I would hide after church while waiting for the Man to finish with a meeting because I was tired of being sucked into her vortex (this was before we were riding with her, and she'd hang out waiting for him).
Then finally she had an opportunity to move in with another daughter in another state. So the apartment manager (who I'd become pretty tight with shortly after we moved in) and I threw her a going away dinner. The AM seated us so L wasn't next to the Man, however L tried playing footsies with him under the table and got AM's feet instead, lol. When it came time for her to leave, the Man had conveniently situated himself in the next room, on the other side of the baby gate that she couldn't get over. Didn't stop her from getting a goodbye hug though. When he left for work at 5 am the next day, she was waiting for him.
A couple of years after we moved, AM told us she come back looking for us. AM refused to tell her where we were. Sometimes I think I see that car and I tense up for a minute.
The Dirty Old Man
The Dirty Old Man was the long time resident there. He smoked like an oil refinery on fire. I'd hold my breathe as I passed his apartment, it was that bad. I had dropped one of the baby's toys in front of his apartment once and when I got home an hour later, he ran out and gave it to me. The thing reeked of cigarettes. I don't think he ever slept. He rented his rooms out and there were quite the variety of people that lived with him over the years: strippers, prostitutes, gigolos, you get the picture. He was also desperate to become the manager there and thought that he could enter anyones apartment at any time. And remember, he was a dirty old man. Use your imagination.
Last I heard of him, he'd been evicted and it took thousands of dollars to clean that place up.
The Cab Driver
He was actually pretty awesome. But he also had a bad smoking habit. It made him cough constantly, and we could hear it through the walls. For a week after the baby was born and he'd cry all night, I worried about bothering him. I was passing his door one day and he stuck his head out and asked when I'd had the baby. He couldn't even hear all the crying, because he was hard of hearing. Also, he worked at night. I never felt bad for vacuuming at 10pm anymore.
When he moved out, we got the
Welfare Fraud
This complex hadn't allowed children before, but made an exception for us. And them because we were good tenants, the manager decided to let another family with kids in. Mistake. She wanted the AM to sign a welfare statement that she lived there alone with the kids. AM refused because boyfriend also lived there. The kids went to daycare even though mom did not work. She stayed home and drank all day. When the kids were home, there was always screaming, yelling and crying. They didn't last long. The AM kicked them out.
And the creme de la creme
The Miser and the Player
They were the ones that moved into the apartment whose kitchen and living room bordered our bedroom. The ones that liked to fight at 2 am. When we met them, they were cool. Everything seemed good with them. Her and I hit it off because we grew up in the same area and had a common acquaintance (she was good friend with my piano teacher's son). It was a few months before it fell apart. She was a miser. She worked 2 jobs, but rarely paid for anything. If she did buy something, he had to pay her back. I heard them fight about him paying her back for a pair of shoes she bought herself. And even as things went bad, she desperately wanted a baby. It was very awkward when my friend and I, both of us pregnant (me with #2), were assigned to visit her through church.
He bought a car, but for whatever reason, was not allowed to drive it (something legal). But he did. We mentioned to her once about how he'd come home with the radio blasting and we were afraid he'd wake up the baby (his parking space was right under the baby's window). We thought she knew. Apparantly she didn't. Cue huge fight later that night. He'd take his cordless phone and talk to a girlfriend right outside my bedroom window. I was in bed reading one night and heard him say "I love you." I knew that the wife was inside watching TV. I think I stopped breathing for a minute. The Man was the only one I told. He pulled all kinds of crap and we wondered how she didn't know he was cheating on her. It was so obvious to us. Turns out she was playing ignorant until she could find another guy to pay her way. We finally confronted her with all the crap (not knowing about her playing ignorant), and I guess it just wouldn't look right after the neighbors had figured it out, so she moved out. She lived with the AM for a few months until she moved into another apartment in the complex. AM and I helped her move her stuff in her dad brought from storage and I couldn't believe all the trash. She was a true miser, if it had any life left, she saved it. And to further prove her miserly ways, she would sneak into the AM's apartment (she hadn't returned the key yet) at night while AM was at work and use her shower. She just couldn't pay for the electricity to heat the water. AM suspected as much and mentioned it to me, and then one night I actually saw The Miser go into AM's apartment. I was across the courtyard and there were 2 rows of bushes between us, so she never saw me. AM demanded her key back after that.
The player eventually moved out.
A few months after we moved away, AM told us that The Miser's boyfriend came and got her late one night. The Miser was very sick. AM went up to the apartment and Miser wouldn't let her turn any lights on. Also said it was very cold up there - Miser wouldn't turn on the heat. I think Miser ended up having surgery. She stayed around for a couple of years before moving on.
It really was like a soap opera living there.