An Ordinary Day
The second of the pair of my gerbils has seen his last day after a relatively peaceful passing. My neighbour on the other hand suffered a lot in his last days, leaving his 48 year old wife to go through her own suffering while she packs her suitcases for Sweden.
Over the last four years I crossed paths with the two in the hallway – their names still unknown to me despite having immigrated from the same country. That’s how things are around here: there is so much physical space, everyone is accustomed to a lot of personal space.
Like animals in the wild, when another creature comes within arms reach we simply move somewhere new where we can continue avoiding contact. Those that do not often receive unpleasant looks to the tune of “What’s wrong with you?”
While packing myself, I’ve shed some old and misguided books by leaving them in the lobby for anyone to take. They and the few movies on VHS and other things disappeared almost immediately in whole. Had I known they’d go so fast, I would have stood there and sold them for a dollar a piece, leaving me with a pocket full of money to foot the next grocery bill. Life goes on.
Neighbour? Beside or across the way?
L'autre bout du couloir, l'autre bout du monde… Same difference, sometimes.
Human nature is inherently contradictory: we are social animals, needing companionship – and yet we all crave that personal space, our own little bubble from which to watch the world.
Peace to The Dopester. :(