Hi there, I have two questions... 1) has any effort been made to protect the children in this drama; and 2) have you considered finding another place to live? Considering that you're dwelling in small quarters, you'll always have some noise. Praying...
1.) No, because until this incident with the fight between her and her boyfriend I didn't really feel as if there was anything significant to report. While I get the feeling she doesn't care that her actions are what are causing her and her child to have to move I just don't know if that is a report-able action. Do I report that there is too many people living in a small space; that I suspect drug activity without any hard proof? I'm not trying to be obtuse about the question it's just after hearing her lie to the police and seemingly get away with it I just wonder if there is anything I can report in an effort to help the child involved.
I have much empathy for the children stuck in this situation. It's a lot of why I kept holding back and biting my tongue. But, unfortunately, their mom/dad don't care and feel they can lie there way out of everything because so far they have been able to.
But maybe a call does need to be in order and just give them whatever information that I have and hope/pray for it to all work out. In that respect, I appreciate you asking the question and has become something I need to think about now.
2.) I have thought about moving and have been actively looking since they have moved in while knowing I couldn't stand to deal with the noise much longer. The problems I ran into were there were not enough apartments in the area, or if there was it was beyond anything I could afford. I don't have a vehicle so I must live near where I work. A walk to work right now is 20 minutes, that is as close as I can get. The other problem is that I don't make a lot of money at work and so far the only thing that gets paid on time is my rent so to move somewhere else and pay more just really isn't in the budget.
I've been in the apartment for 3 years. Have had a few people move in and move out in that span of time. So I understand that there will always be some noise. I got lucky when I first moved in the person above me worked where I did and at almost the same hours so that was easy to deal with. After that we had a tenant move in who had a large dog that he told the landlord never barked. He lied. That dog barked for hours at times but honestly it never really bothered me I was eventually able to tune it out as the sound was always the same. After him these new people moved in and the sounds are never the same. Dealing with a dog barking is a lot different than people purposely making noise, allowing their children jump up and down and bounce balls in their apartment.
I, also, understand that kids will be kids. But when I was growing up, in a home my mom owned with no neighbors, I was never allowed to run in the house, bounce a ball, or do any of these other things they are allowing the children to do or that they themselves are doing.
Aside from all of that for my reasons for not moving is also because I've become close with my landlord. I, honestly, never had that before more so because before the past 3 years I allowed my life to fall apart. I was always evicted from apartments before I hit the 5 month mark. This is the first apartment I've always been on time with, if not paid before time. But my LL is also 85 years old and reminds me a lot of my Nana who I no longer see as much since I moved away from the area she lived in. Therefore, I am not quick to give that up either. I do understand there will always be noise but there is a difference between usually daily noise and people being disrespectful and this is what is going on right now.
For more update, I called my LL on Sunday to ask if I should throw away the ceiling tiles that fell down when the hot water heater above me created a waterfall in my apartment. I also let her know that I had to phone the police on my neighbors but got no where with it. My LL said she was happy I had done that and also told me that also on Sunday my neighbor had called her and told that she would be gone by the middle of the week. Well, the middle of the week has come and gone. So, it looks like it was another lie she fed my LL. Doesn't look like they're even considering it as there is still piles of their junk everywhere on our shared porch.
I just hope they leave soon. I've been holding on for this day to come for the past 2 months now. I often sit back and wonder why it is God wants me to go through this situation and why he's putting me through more than I feel like I can handle. In a way, I am thankful for the experience because I feel it's God trying to test me but in others I feel like I am being strung out too thin and my breaking point is just about there. This is also a situation that has kept me in check as I always try to act or react in the way Jesus would but I will admit I fail more times than not.
Anyway, I am awaiting this being over. I miss being able to fall asleep with out the help of a serious dose of sleep aids. I miss being able to be at work without fearing for what may be going on at my apartment. I miss feeling my home as that, a home. And while I know there are others going through much worse and I know that Jesus is with me during all of this, I am just running on empty now and in need of a serious rest.
I do thank you all again for reading my posts and responding. Even if you read and don't respond it still gives me encouragement to keep moving on through it all. There is a lot more going on in my life than this but this is the one that is trying to break the camel's back. And the support here is what is keeping me pushing through the tears and fits of anger. So it's appreciated beyond any words I could ever say. Thank you.
