Neighbor talk

(excerpt  from my journal entry dated January 21, 2012, a Saturday)

It’s almost 12 noon. Just like yesterday, I opted to write here later in the day (instead of in the morning) and finish up first all that needed to be done around the house. That includes the chores and giving Tatay a bath, and then taking a bath myself (because I didn’t take a bath yesterday; I also didn’t brush my teeth at all yesterday—these things I find so trivial, I think it would help if I did them while in a trance).

Anyway, I was in the backyard earlier. I had just finished watering the plants and feeding the fish and our mascot, the rooster, and together with Kuya Jing (who was sweeping the fallen leaves) and the kids, we were enjoying ourselves when, suddenly, something splashed on our roof and it smelled of liquor.

I got so pissed that I walked up to the edge of our yard, to the fence bordering our place and the next-door neighbors (who live in two-story apartments) and launched a “piss” talk on them—whoever they were who were on the other side of the fence who could hear me and who must have thrown the liquor on our roof.

I could hear voices on the other side, but I couldn’t see them because the fence was rather high (which should have been higher to make up a firewall, so says the law which maintains that if a house or structure is set on the edge of a property line, a firewall should isolate it from the next property—or something to that effect). But then the fence is not high enough to isolate from us those who occupy the second floor units, and so they can easily throw their crap on our roof from their windows, albeit without impunity* (I’ll check later what “impunity” means).

Anyway, I could hear one of them on the other side “answering” me back (albeit in a very low tone, more like muttering, as if he did not intend for me to hear his words), his point being that the leaves that fall from our trees also litter their side of the fence. Whoa! Tu quoque, eh? I answered him back (loudly, that is). I told him that if it happens that our trees “litter” their side of the fence, then it is still THEIR fault for not building a high-enough firewall to separate the two properties.

I was so pissed that I called them “Baboy!” (pigs) because if you’d climb up our roof, you’d also find used cotton buds, candy wrappers, cigarette butts and (one time) a used sanitary napkin, which apparently people from their side threw onto our roof.

Finally, the guy on the other side climbed up the fence, probably just to take a peek at who he was dealing with. But when he saw my face, he immediately climbed back down. But it was already too late for him because we had already made eye contact, and I had on this “yeah-I’m-talking-to-you!” glare in my eyes. 

And so, I shot at him, “Kayo ba yung nagtapon ng alak dito sa bubungan namin?!” [Did you just throw liquor on our roof?!] And he answered, “Hindi po kami ‘yun; sa taas po yun….” [It wasn’t us; it came from the rooftop….].

"E ‘yung mga cotton buds na nakakalat sa bubong namin?!” [What about the used cotton buds scattered on our roof?!] I shot back at him. He answered, “Hindi po kami nagtatapon ng cotton buds dyan….” [We don’t throw used cotton buds there….].

At this, I concluded the confrontation in a very loud threatening voice: “Siguraduhin n’yo lang!” [Just make sure you don’t!]. And that was it. Short and sweet.

Now I have to include in our budget fencing materials (hollow blocks, cement, metal rods, wire, etc.) so that I can make the existing fence higher so as to function like a firewall. That would mean they won’t have windows to our property, ergo, no window at all from which they could throw their trash onto our roof, and through which no more light and air can come in to their house.

Of course I will have to think this through because light and air are basic to conducive living, and I don’t think I’m the type to go out of my way to cause anyone such a discomfort. Besides, it would cost us extra.

My sister is agreeable to it, saying it is high time that we do it. But I’ll still think about it.

Last night, I stumbled on a Facebook page that evaluates people’s Facebook profiles and then, just for fun, revealing what people were in their past life. They came up with mine. They said that in my past life, I was a bitch. Ahehe. I guess that explains a lot. Chapter!

*impunity - (noun) exemption from punishment; immunity from detrimental effects, as of an action.