About a week ago I was woken in the middle of the night by my neighbors arguing. They're retired and their only pastime is drinking. And I'm not talking about just one or two drinks. They're both a bit mentally unstable and when alcohol is added theybecome loud and obnoxious. They have been nasty to just about everyone in the neighborhood and I steer clear of them, especially after I had to call the police a few years ago when the husband, in his usual irrational drunken state, tried to get in my house while carrying a golf club. He was mad at me for some reason and wanted to bash my brains in.
Anyway, I woke up to their arguing and he kept yelling at her to go away and leave him alone. It quieted down and I fell back to sleep, only to be awoken a few more times. At about 2 a.m. I was woken again to him screaming "Wake up, wake up and speak to me, wake up" and then he screamed "oh my God, no, no, oh my God no....". Well that got my attention. I felt I should do something, but after my past experiences I was a bit afraid to get involved. Did something actually happen, or was she just ignoring him? A few minutes later I heard some other voices and assumed it was either a neighbor or that another neighbor had called the police. I was tempted to get out of bed and look, but it was late and I had to get up in a few hours for work, so I told myself it was none of my business and I rolled over and went back to sleep.
The next few days there was absolutely no signs of life next door. They always have their windows open this time of year and their garage door is usually up and they're almost always outside on their back deck (drinking of course). It was almost eerie. I didn't hear a peek out of them and so I began to wonder if indeed something had happened that night. I tried to call the one neighbor who is still on speaking terms with them, but she wasn't home when I called. I finally saw the other neighbor outside yesterday and I went over to ask her what happened.
According to this neighbor, several other neighbors heard the arguing and then the husband's screams. Some neighbors came outside on their porches to see what was going on and someone did call the police. The police came quietly but then called EMS. I'm surprised I didn't see the flashing lights on my bedroom walls. Apparently the wife had way too much to drink and passed out, fell off their deck, and hit her head on the driveway, which knocked her unconscious. The husband didn't know what to do and left her laying there for a bit, thinking she'd get back up. When she didn't he kicked her to see if she'd respond, but she didn't, so he thought she had died of a heart attack and he just sat down and started the screaming that we all heard.
Apparently EMS was able to revive her but I don't know whether she was taken to the hospital or not. They laid low for a few days and stayed inside, which is why I saw no signs of life next door. Her doctor told her to stop drinking, but early yesterday evening she was outside drinking again and telling somebody fairly loudly that she's not going to give up drinking because life is too short and she should be able to have fun. I don't know about you, but I'd hope that if I passed out from drinking I'd take that as a warning sign and change my ways.
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Comments: 11
If I were her, I would heed the warning signs and get straight. Sounds like she is seriously addicted and in denial of her problems.
And then there were the Sunday barbecues....the kids would throw the trash over my fence into my yard. The Fourth of July was a major pain in the butt; he would "celebrate" by firing his pistol into the air in his front yard and yell about how white people were ruining his life.
There was 9/11...the kids weren't made to go to school on a regular basis so they ran wild around the neighborhood all day long, several days a week. That day, they got their hands on some firecrackers and lit them inside my mailbox.
There was the night the father killed the family dog...he tried to take the bowl of food away from it while the dog was eating and it bared its teeth at him. He slit it's throat in the backyard in front of the family around midnight that night (he had to get drunk first) the kids screamed for hours. I called the cops on that one.
I've read some of your other posts about your neighbors and frankly, the problems in your neighborhood seem fairly mild to me. If your alcoholic neighbor comes on your property without your permission and you feel threatened, call the police.
Your non-weeding neighbor got her yard weeded; why should her family dynamics, her relationship with her mother or what her mother is willing to do to help her child, be any of your concern? Enjoy the view, you got what you wanted--the weeds are gone.