keith

yesterday maria and i met our across the hall neighbor, keith. this is not a picture of keith but it is a keith that i found on google images. keith is a proud owner of two cats and multiple cars, which tend to have damage done to them anonymously, which was how the conversation started. he asked if maria and i had heard anyone run into his vehicle between 7 am and 10:30 pm on Wednesday. we had not. and so began a 30 minute conversation covering a varying array of topics.

he explained to us, in detail, what has happened to each of his four or five cars and two garages in the 14 years he has lived in these apartments. alot of windows had been broken and some hit and run situations. his garage was broken into and ransacked as well, but nothing was really taken.

after he explained these things to us the conversation topic turned to the downfall of our neighborhood. apparently the apartment complexes across from us are a haven for illegal drug activity. a woman once asked him over and in the house she offered him drugs and sex, both of which he turned down. she had just ended a long relationship and he didn't want any drama.

in our own apartments there was a "raging lesbian" who would have "raging lesbian parties" with marijuana and drinking which were very loud. when he asked her to quiet the party down she was belligerent and cussed him out. there were some other instances of drug abuse on a massive scale but i don't remember the specifics.

not only drugs, but violence is escalating apparently too. last winter, or the winter before, a gentleman drowned his baby in a bucket of water. keith has heard many gunshots on several occasions as well. he also witnessed a biker beat another man to death with a tire iron. he called the police and they never showed up. he said that "the screams were the worst sounds he's ever heard."

there was a time when he wasn't living in our neighborhood and i am not sure, since the stories came quickly and out of chronological order, which ones actually happened in this area. i have never heard a gunshot and have never had any problems with drugs, violence, or loud parties. still, it was a little disconcerting.

other topics of conversation:
1. our landlords. apparently they are crooks and have kicked several old people out of the apartment building. one being disabled.

2. the female cat rules the roost while the male is a wuss.

3. his mistakes with women. he said he always went for the one who was "in skimpy clothes and as easy" or something to that affect. he said he didn't always make the best choices.

it was interesting talking to him, some of it kind of made me uneasy, but i think he needed to talk. he said he's on disability and is home all day. so he probably just needed some human interaction, which everyone needs. we've come a long way from the day he yelled at me for "slamming" my door.

(this was not "The Pursuit.")