Neighbors

I really hate to complain, but I’m so fed up I have to tell someone.  For months, we’ve lived in relative peace with our neighbors.  We only share walls with one other house, so what was the likelihood that the folks on the other side will be unbearable and we would be unable to settle our differences?  They have been occupying the other side of our walls the entire time we’ve lived here.  Obviously, they were here first.  For a long time, the noise was bearable.  Sure, there was some occasional bumping and banging and a bit of arguing here or there.  Nothing we couldn’t live with….

Morning mist

...Until recently.  After welcoming triplets into their family, the otherwise quiet couple is now dealing with a frenzy of activity.  I can, of course, sympathize with the mother and father and pity them as they are up half the night with their wailing offspring.  Having one at a time was hard enough on my sanity, I can’t imagine having three.  But the fussing…. The arguing over who’s turn it is to get up with the crying baby… the bumping and banging in the middle of the night.  What might have at one time been common arguments over petty things, now sounds like downright domestic disputes.  I’ve considered calling the cops.  They bump and bang so much, I’m afraid sometimes they’ll fall in through the walls.  I can’t imagine what all they are doing to cause so much ruckus.  We have had some quiet hours, thankfully, but the late nights and early mornings are the worst.  The babies are loud, the parents are arguing and I finally had to contact the landlord. I don’t know what he can do, really, but I have had enough.  I can’t cope with being woken up repeatedly.  It’s causing us all to lie awake and ponder how to politely recommend some sleep-training and tough love to the exhausted parents.  I don’t know exactly how long it’s been since they welcomed their babies, but surely it’s time for some sleep. 

What with the virus and the strict lock-down we’ve experienced here, I imagine they are overwhelmed with caring for their children alone.  Tensions are obviously running high and I feel for them.  Families aren’t allowed to mingle and I imagine no meal-train was set up for them amidst their return home after the birth.  Judging by the sounds of it, they’re up managing meals all hours of the day and night.  Clearly they are overwhelmed with their own situation and have little concern for our peace and rest.  I would like to offer to bring them a meal, but we don’t speak a common language and I have no idea what they would enjoy.  Plus, we still aren’t supposed to socialize and I wouldn’t want to put them on the spot to refuse my offer.   Often when things are apparently going smoothly and all the babies are content, the parents sing at the top of their lungs and leave us with little peace.  I’ve tried politely tapping on the walls, which has rendered no response.

I haven’t even heard back from the landlord; clearly he is at as much of a loss as we are.  Day and night I consider that in time, these days will pass and hopefully a bit more peace will come to our neighbors.  But for now, I’m quite ready to find a way to evict them and wish them well on their way.

In the meantime, I suppose we will continue in our cohabitation with our feathery foes and hope when their babies fly the nest in our bedroom wall, we can all get some much needed rest!

~Abby