Drama Upstairs

As I was getting ready for work this morning, there was a very loud fight emanating from the apartment above me. It was all quiet last night and this morning. That is until things started hitting the floor, a tremendous amount of yelling began, there was running from room to room and noises that I couldn’t quite identify.

I listened for about 10 minutes as it became progressively louder and louder. Then something slammed on the floor which caused my ceiling to literally move up and down. I heard her yell at him, he yelled something about giving him his phone back, she yelled she wanted to call someone and he had broken her phone, he yelled that she just wanted to call her mommy and then he called her a bad name (the “c” name). The yelling escalated and that is when I decided that something needed to be done. So I called 911.

When I called 911 and told them what was happening, it was a matter of a minute or so before the police began arriving. Three cops in three cars. I heard them banging on the door upstairs but, all of a sudden, there wasn’t a sound coming from up there. After a few minutes, they managed to get inside the apartment.

I realized at this point that I was going to be late for work. I called my boss to let him know what was happening. Then I called my neighbor to let her know what was happening. Then I called the building manager to let him know what was happening.

After about a half hour of watching the comings and goings, filling out a statement for the police and talking to my neighbor and the building manager and the police, I was able to leave for work.

The time line for this whole event was as follows:

8:00 am – all was quiet

8:05 am – all hell breaks loose upstairs.

8:15 am – I call 911

8:16 am – The cops arrive

8:25 am – I call my boss to let him know I am going to be late; I call my neighbor to let her know why the cops are here; I call my building manager to let him know what is going on.

8:40 am – detectives show up because the cops had found bongs and other drug paraphernalia in the apartment.

8:50 am – I give a statement to the police

9:00 am – I leave for work

9:05 am – I am at work and I realize it has been only one short hour since all hell broke loose.

After I gave the statement to the police, my building manager and I were discussing with the officer what had transpired. I had assumed that the guy had beaten up his girlfriend. It turns out that SHE had beaten the crap out of HIM. So, while I was writing out my statement for the police, they had hauled her off to jail and she wasn’t going to be allowed to come back. They were having him file a restraining order against her. The cop also mentioned that the detectives were still searching the apartment for drugs. They were probably going to be a while on that task.

All in all, it was an interesting way to start the day. When the fight was happening, it scared me so much my hands were shaking when I was calling 911. I just was afraid that he was hurting her, raping her or even trying to kill her. From what I was hearing, it didn’t sound to me like she was the instigator. But the police said he was more hurt than her and she had started it.

I mentioned to someone that it is like a soap opera at this apartment building. But I now I don’t see it that way. I was thinking about this kid who was beaten up. He is in his early twenties, maybe even 19 years old or so. This is his first apartment. He has lived here for only a little over four months. With all that has happened, I don’t consider it a soap opera as much as a very sad country song. Let me illustrate (let’s call him Bob):

Bob moves into his first apartment.

Living with his girlfriend and another friend.

Two weeks later, his girlfriend leaves him. So sad.

A month or so after that, his other roommate leaves him.

He loses his driver’s license.

He loses his job.

He gets a new roommate.

He gets a new girlfriend.

He sits around and smokes pot all day.

He gets evicted.

His girlfriend beats him up.

He loses his girlfriend.

If you take all of that and make it into a country song, it would be a real tear jerker. If you played it backwards, he would end up being a straight A college student with a fiancé, driving a Mercedes, and belonging to a fraternity.

I suppose I shouldn’t kid about Bob’s troubles. After all, he not only is an unemployed, pot-smoking, homeless guy who can’t drive his own car and just lost his girlfriend…he lost his girlfriend because she beat him up! That is just too sad. It really is.  People shouldn’t beat each other up no matter what the situation.

I will be glad when they are all moved out and the new guy has moved in. I know the new tenant. He lived there last summer and wants to move back. He is quiet, polite, helpful and looks out for all of us. The ideal upstairs neighbor.

He should be moving in about a month from now. Until then, I am hoping things are quiet and we can have less drama around here. That is my hope at least. I doubt it will happen but I can certainly hope for it!