S, David L Brown Sr [ebook reader color screen .TXT] 📗

New Neighbors

Five minutes in the neighborhood and I can’t believe the shit that has already taken place. Five police cars two paramedics and the whole block is outside; watching as a major disturbance unfolds. As we pull into our new parking lot, Danielle turns to me with a look of concern.
“Jonathan where in God’s name have you moved us too” she said?
As we sit in the car waiting for the others to arrive, we noticed what the big fuss was all about. Two of the neighbors were standing outside of their apartment in the nude fighting. Denise walks over to the car with a huge grin on her face.
“It looks like we have just entered a whole new world of excitement” she said!
“I think your rights, but at least we won’t need cable”, I replied with a small laugh.
Eric and the movers pull up in the moving truck with a look of confusion. “Hey Eric, how do you like the new scenery”? I ask.
“Umm (with a slight pause) it’s kind of unique” he replied.
Danielle gets out of the car and runs upstairs to her apartment but not before stopping on the first flight of stairs to watch the police officers tackle one of the neighbors to the ground for having a weapon.
“Danielle”! I shout really loudly. “Why are you running like you are scared or something? You didn’t do anything except watch.”
” I just don’t want to get caught up in this mess, I just moved here” she said.
“Stop worrying about that, you are always so quick to assume the police are after you” says Denise with a laughing voice.
As I turned to Eric I asked, “How is this going to work out if we have to finish moving the two houses and the girls are scared to stay here alone”? Right in the middle of my sentence Anthony walks up and introduces himself.
“Hey what’s up, I’m Anthony”! He says in a cheerful manner.
Before I could say anything, Denise opens her mouth as usual.
“Hi, I’m Denise and this is Jonathan, Danielle and my hunny, Eric”.
“Nice to meet you all” says Anthony.”I can tell you one thing’s for sure; things’ are really going to get interesting around here. Today is only Thursday... just wait till the weekend comes around. Over here it seems as if every weekend is some sort of movie scene. There is everything from fighting to car wrecks, down to evictions.”
Eric looks over and me with a blank look.
“Wow, this seems to be the place for all types of entertainment” he says with a chuckle.
I looked over to Denise and began to laugh under my breath, “now this is my idea of a concrete jungle” I mumbled. Suddenly a loud cry filled the air.
“What are you doing you idiot,” the loud voice said. “Stop taunting that dumb ass cop.”
We all turned to see where it was coming from and be- hold, it was one of the neighbors that were involved in the disturbance.
“This is why everyone is out here now”, she stated. “You and your ignorance are our biggest problems.”
Suddenly another officer ran over to the woman as she continued to run her mouth.
“Look miss you are just making the situation worse”.
At that point I turned to Eric and said “hey we have to get this moving done or we will be out her all weekend trying to finish.” Eric just nodded and began to unload the truck with the movers.
Anthony comes over and says, “Well let me know if you guys need help with anything, I am in apartment two”.
Danielle began to call for Denise with an annoyed tone in her voice.
“Denise, can you come up here and help me get this dumb door open”.
As the movers unloaded the truck I went over to my new apartment to unlock the door so that things could move a litter faster. BANG! “What the hell was that,” I said? I ran inside my apartment to find out that a brick had been thrown into my kitchen window.
Some kids were in the back of the building throwing rocks at each other.
I just chuckled and said to myself “wow are you serious”?
As night fell, the neighborhood seemed to get really lively. People began to come out of their homes as if there was a circus that just opened in the front yard. I walked over to the stair case leading upstairs to Denise’s apartment and yelled “are you guys still unpacking the first load”? Eric came to the door and yelled back at me.
“Yah we are, but I am ready to head back for another load if you are”.
Anthony came back outside and began to ask if we needed any help. I told him, “Yah we do actually, can you keep an eye on the girls while we go and get the last load”?
“Sure” he said, here is my number, just call if you need anything else.”
“I have been thinking about something and I want your honest opinion,” Eric said to me as we pulled into the old apartment complex. “I am thinking about asking Denise to marry me, but I want to know what your opinion of that is. Do you think we are right for each other”?
My mouth dropped open. “Well to be honest, I think that you two are perfect for each other” I began saying. “It still amazes me how you and Denise can work through any situation that comes up. All I can say is to just follow your heart and keep God in the forefront; Oh, and don’t forget to submit to her,” I said in a joking manner. “We can talk about this more if you need to,” I told him. “In the mean time, let’s get the rest of this stuff loaded. I will meet you over at your old apartment in about ten minutes, I have to go upstairs and see if Lora and the kids are ready.” If they are, they can follow us back over to the new place,” I finished adding. “Also I am going to get my son Junior to help us.”
“Ok” Eric said! ”I am going to run over to the store and grab a snack before we start.”
As Eric leaves for the store, I walk over to the old apartment and began to call out to Lora. “Lora, Lora” I yelled.
“What Jonathan”, she replied? “
“Are you and the kids ready to head over to the new place? Eric and I are on the last loads and I am making sure that we have nothing left up there.” I yelled back.
“Yah, we are ready but there are still a few things up here”, she said, “but I can just put them in our car when we leave.”
As she began to walk back inside I yelled out, “Where is Junior? I need him to come and help us load this truck.”
Lora turns towards the front door again and says “Junior, your dad wants you so hurry up and put your shoes back on”.
I turned and started walking away but not before yelling back, “send him over to Eric’s apartment when he is ready. I have to get started.” Five minutes later Junior comes running over to Eric’s place breathing fast. “What is wrong with you boy” I asked? “You are breathing like you just ran a marathon.”
He looks up at me and said, “Man dad that was a long run. I sprinted all the way here and now I am tired.”
I just chuckled and replied “boy, I know you aren’t tired, that was barely five hundred feet that you ran. We have got to get your skinny self in shape,” I said as I walked away laughing. “Come on let’s get this stuff loaded.” A few moments later, Eric walks in.
“Hey Junior, how ya been” he stated.
“I am fine, just trying to stop my little brother from getting on my nerves when my dad is not home,”
“I know the feeling” said Eric. “I used to feel the same way about my sisters growing up.”
“Will you two stop all the lady talk and help me carry this shit outside please” I yelled out with a stern voice? Then I turned to Junior and said “here, take this to the truck and send one of the movers in here”. As we began loading the moving truck, I heard a very high pitched annoying voice speak to me.
“So I see you guys are finally moving out, well it is about time your kind left here”.
Both Eric and I turned around to see who had spoken to us. Much to our surprise it was the property manager. Eric looks her in the face and began to laugh very loudly.
“It’s amazing how you can find time to harass tenants who are moving out, but yet you seem incapable of repairing broken things in your apartment”, he stated. “I wonder if the owner knows that you are slacking on your duties and stealing money from him”.
The property manger looks to Eric and said, “Well I guess you will never know, you free loader.”
Eric began to lunge forward and I grabbed him. In a low voice I said, “Just chill out E, there are other ways of getting back at ignorant people. I have an idea, but in the mean time, just calm down and let’s get this stuff loaded.” Eric agrees and walks into the apartment.
“By the way