Came home yesterday afternoon to the sound of voices up on my terrace. I quietly climbed the stairs to the rooftop and opened the door. The sound of the door opening announced my arrival and in the far corner of the terrace perched a young girl, straddling the corner of the wall between my terrace and two other houses. Her face registered complete alarm when our eyes met. Poof! She fell backwards – not onto her own terrace, but our mutual neighbor’s terrace. I gather she got a good thump as she fell because an indignant wail followed her abrupt descent.
I rushed to the corner to check on her only to discover another girl cowering in the corner that was outside my view when I emerged from the stairwell. She made a dash for the corner to hop over the wall. “LA!” I shouted -- for I could see what was coming. She used an antique olive oil jar to propel her over the wall and it crashed and broke under her weight. I unleashed the full power of my fury on her. My terrace had been stripped of all personal belongings … a table, a tea kettle, ashtrays, clothes pins … and now a prized belonging had been shattered. Big problem. Thank goodness I didn’t have laundry hanging out to dry for no doubt that, too, would have made its way off the terrace.
Who knows where the first girl went. She probably ran to save herself while her friend or sister was trapped with the angry “foreigner” on the terrace where they had no doubt been trespassing all day long. A glance to my right let me see where they had transferred my things onto their own terrace.
I made a grab for the girl. She cowered and cringed as if I were going to strike her. She cried and simpered as her eyes looked wildly around for an escape.
I let her go with a torrent of angry words. What could I do? I was suddenly filled with memories of bad decisions I made when I was a young girl. Fortunately for me, I always got caught and therefore learned some lessons the hard way about what's right and what's wrong.
Eventually, some adults emerged onto the rooftop to find out what all the commotion was about. My belongings were handed over to me, one by one.
Later that evening, the mother of the two young girls came to my door to apologize. “No problem” I told her. “Just teach your girls a lesson and don’t let it happen again.” I had no desire to make trouble but I was hoping the girls would learn not to repeat their mistake.
Nevertheless, today I am making plans to build a higher wall.
4 comments:
Now I understand why people cement shards of broken glass on top of really high walls around their homes there. I thought it was to keep parkour-jumping boys away. Didn't imagine girls would do the same. Glad you got your stuff back and the mother overcame her shame enough to come and apologize. Makes a difference having parents who will speak up instead of making excuses or denying it.
The reality is that often these parents don't give a damn about what their children do, have many times have you heard the excuse they are just children, they just don't want you to call the police.
You need to report this at least to your mokadem, or you will continually be seen as a soft touch. And wait until you start building that higher wall, will these same neigbours be slow to complain to the authorities about your wall taking away their light.
I suppose that one day you will welcome tourists into your house...that is the plan? Then the "pickins' " will be even more tempting for the neighborhood girls and boys....unfortunately when things then get stolen it will be your responsability and your name that will be tarnished...today a pair of jeans maybe tomorrow a cell phone or computer or money. anonymous nr 1 is right...you need to tell your muqadim and put some fear into the neighborhood kids otherwise they will be on your roof every day when you are not there...believe me.
lol,poor evelyn.if you need a body guard i'm here
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