As
I stopped at the red light, I noticed many police cars with the red lights
spinning and alerting people that something was going on. I also noticed a big moving
truck with three strong men that looked like they were going to carry in the
merchandise that was being taken from this house on the corner.
The
police were telling the people in the house to come out with their and as the
light turned green, I saw that it was a woman and three little children who
couldn't have been older than five. They were coming out carrying some bags and
their backpacks. Nobody looked happy. The very long faces made me wonder
whether they had anywhere to go. There was also an Asian man standing to the
right talking to a police officer who was writing things down perhaps for the
report that he would have to fill out as soon as he got back to the station.
As
I was driving to school, I kept thinking about the scene. Perhaps it was an
empty house and this woman and her family or other families might have invaded
it to live there because it was a pretty large corner house with two floors. Therefore,
it seemed to be quite large. I kept thinking of how this house must have been
vacant for several months or years and these people who were homeless decided
to take shelter in this home, however, if the house was closed up, of course
they had invaded the property. Not
having a place to live when you have children under 5, you do what you have to
do to give them shelter and protect them from the rain and the cold. It made me
think of some actions that could be taken by owners of buildings that are
abandoned and closed out for many years.
Some
thoughts that crossed my mind: they
could make a deal with the family and let them stay there until they need the place
for whatever they are going to do with the house; even if they sell it to be knocked
down, so a building could be put up.
This
idea made me realize how many houses and buildings were closed on my way to
school and if the owners make some deals allowing people to live in the place, possibly
it would be better taken care of. The people living there could pay for
electricity and water and try to regain their confidence and finding a job while
also preserving the home and having shelter for their family members. I'm not
one to judge and that's not my job here but I'm trying to see how people can
help others.
Perchance,
I would do this if I had an abandoned building because I keep thinking of all
the people that I see sleeping on the streets, just suffering from the cold,
the rain and the heat having nowhere to go.
As
I drove on, I couldn´t get the scene off my mind. What were they going to do
now? Where are they going to go? Perhaps, these kids by living in this house were
going to school while the mother was trying to make ends meet to put some food
on the table. It was sad though to see all those policemen taking these people
out of the house. I do realize it's a private property. I do realize that these
people did invade the place and perhaps the owner even did speak to them
politely asking them to leave and perhaps they didn't want to leave.
Anyhow,
it was just something that I was thinking about on my morning commute.
Nowadays, there many people are homeless; the numbers have increased in the
past four years due to several factors, including the government, the pandemic,
businesses bellying up and other people who just abandoned everybody so that
they could save their money for the future. But the future isn´t in our hands,
is it?
Sometimes
you save your money your entire life, then when you die. Either the money just
stays in the bank or goes to your family members who have never even called you
up to see how you were doing.
Lots
of thoughts this morning and it might sound judgmental, but I don't know the
word but just a thought so many other serious things happening in this city and
here they are worrying about the private house.
Ah, for instance, something they could worry
about fixing: when I was driving, I went by a hole that has been there for at
least six months. It's becoming part of the avenue and perhaps when they fix it
up, if they ever do, it will be missed. Every morning you have to go around the
hole causing traffic jams or causing traffic accidents.
There
are other more serious issues in the city like the increase in crime. A week
ago, my building was invaded by criminals; underaged boys dressed in school
uniforms who had access to the gates. They had hacked the tag used to open the
gates, so they got in no questions asked. They used the service elevator which
serves all four apartments. They went to the last floor and started coming down
the stairs where there are no cameras. The condominium administration is still talking
about putting cameras in the stairway which makes me wonder if and when or ever
this will happen. Nonetheless, a few weeks before this incident, a neighbor and
I decide to put up our own camera in the hall. Actually, there is a smile
you're being filmed sign in the hall, alerting people they're being filmed
but there were no cameras - as if that would scare people away. Even with
cameras we don't scare people away. Anyhow they went down up until the 15th
floor by the stairs and they tried to break in some apartments. They also took
pictures of the doors probably to bring in better equipment to break in some
other day. I came to know that a few of my neighbors have bulletproof doors and
it just made me wonder how many expensive things there are in these apartments.
I think that one of the most valuable things that I have are my cats and my
life, of course. Since I'm at work all day, my cats are alone and if somebody
breaks in, of course they're not going to go through the trouble of closing the
door on their way out and I'm afraid that the cats will be frightened and run
out.
It's
very hard to participate in discussions about what to do with the dwellers of
my building. There was even a person who lives in my building that said that we
should all have guns and just shoot down these kids, these robbers, thieves,
burglars whatever you want to call them. That would be so easy, wouldn't it? Just
shoot them down. OK, so what about the kids in the building who do go to the
same school and wear the same uniform? Do they have to wear bulletproof vests
because this crazy neighbor might just shoot them down? I guess I'm just
rambling on because this happened on the 18th today is the 27th of October.
On
Monday, when I finally turned on my cell phone there were 309 WhatsApp messages
from the people who live in my building asking for some explanation and details
of what happened; posting pictures of the thieves… (luckily the camera that my
neighbor and I own did not have any pictures of the suspects it did have me
though leaving the house at 6:00 AM and coming back at 5:00 PM then I thought
hey not bad I look good on camera)
Anyhow,
it is what it is. One day at a time as I say and try to keep your head up of
course. If everybody did what they have to do, the world would be a better
place. Times are rough and now I'm starting to ramble on, so I'll just end it
here. Thanks for reading.
Written:
October 27, 2022
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| Photo: Meire Marion |
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