When I moved here a year ago, it was a bit of a culture shock. This town...it's something else, and that's not always a good thing. My hometown had its fair share of morons, certainly, but around here that number is probably closer to 95% of the population. I cannot go even a single day without someone, somewhere, doing something incredibly stupid. Even if I don't leave the house, someone walking down the street will be doing something that makes me wonder if they left the house without their common sense.
Like the day the neighbors set their house on fire.
It started out like any other normal Sunday. The housemates were at church, I had showered and was puttering around the kitchen waiting for the water to boil for my ramen noodles (breakfast of champions, eh?). The window above the sink offers a view of part of our street, and as I stood there washing the dishes I happened to look up and I saw a fire truck sitting in the street. I didn't hear any sirens, but I tend to listen to music very loudly when I do the dishes, so that was no surprise.
Being the curious individual that I am, I of course went to go stare out the front window to see what was going on. By the time I got to the front of the house there was a total of three firetrucks and one ambulance sitting in the street. The house across the street and to the right of ours had a cloud of dark smoke billowing out one of the back windows, and the occupants of the house were standing in their driveway, staring at the firemen as they rushed inside carrying the big giant hose.
It must not have been a very large fire, because the majority of firemen that had arrived were standing in the street, blocking traffic, hands on their hips and trying to look super important. The fire chief (according to the name on the back of his jacket, at least) was right in the middle of things, pointing furiously at nothing in particular and looking a bit like a maestro in a large yellow coat.
It didn't take long for the fire to be put out, maybe 20 minutes or so total before the firemen starting coiling up the hose and taking off, one truck at a time. Nobody was injured, because the ambulance left without ever treating anyone.
Now, I can't assume what happened. I never heard any details, and I will never know for sure what went on across the street that morning. However, considering that just the night before the police had been called to that same exact house on a domestic disturbance call and nearly arrested one of the guys that either lived in the house or was at least dating someone else that lived there, I can't help but wonder if maybe the fire wasn't entirely an accident. I don't see the point in setting a fire, on purpose, in a house you're renting and don't even own, but I'm not an idiot either. It seems awfully suspicious though, but I suppose I will have to go through life without ever knowing what really went on at the house across the street that morning.
The house has been empty since the fire. Since the people that lived there had about 306 kids that all spent a lot of time outside, screaming for absolutely no reason, it's been very quiet since they moved out.
I don't really miss the neighbors much at all.
Sincerely,
Smart Girl.
The house has been empty since the fire. Since the people that lived there had about 306 kids that all spent a lot of time outside, screaming for absolutely no reason, it's been very quiet since they moved out.
I don't really miss the neighbors much at all.
Sincerely,
Smart Girl.
Wowzers. Hubby and I (before he was Hubby) had gross neighbours in the upstairs of our basement apartment. It was so frustratin dealing with them! We moved.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. That's why I'm a little afraid to move into an apartment. Knowing my luck I'd end up with weird neighbors AND a weird roommate
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