Neighbours from hell

Communal living is hard. You get on my nerves; and I get on yours. It's the same everywhere - at home with family members, in the office with colleagues, with your neighbors, and in the society at large. That saying about "familiarity breeds contempt" is ever so true. But we mere mortals are social animals - we're just not meant to live life like a hermit.

Happily, most of us manage to get along, even if hypocritically. Much as I hate to admit, hypocrisy does have its place in our society. It has to be, or I'll be waging personal war with many people I know - my siblings, my colleagues, and yes, my neighbors.

Lest you got the impression that I'm a difficult person to get along, let me assure you that I'm usually a nice and sweet guy. But when push turns to shove, I bite back. This is not to say I'm a violent person. How could I be when the person in question is but a woman in her 60s?

See, she's my neighbor living on the highest floor in my block. She has this very annoying and selfish habit of hanging out her clothes without first wringing them dry. The result? Each time she hangs out her clothes, all those living below her flat would not be able to do so in order not to get our clothes wet. And goodness knows from which garment the water is dripping! Shudder.

I've wanted to confront her on numerous occasions but was prevented from doing so by the Slim Lady who just hates confrontation. She also sees little point in talking to an insensitive person. The confrontation would not change anything, she'd said. I, on the other hand, believe that someone should at least talk to the neighbor to let her know how inconsiderate she was.

It happened one Saturday morning when the Slim Lady was at work, and when the sun was shining bright and warm. I had the laundry done and was glad to note that the neighbor upstairs wasn't drying her dripping clothes. So I happily hung out the clothes. About 10 minutes later, I glanced out of the window to see water dripping from the top. Needless to say, it wasn't raining.

Cursing under my breath, I told my kids that I was going upstairs to talk to the neighbor. I knocked on the door, and was greeted by a bespectacled frail-looking lady who looked to be in her 60s. Our conversation in Mandarin went something like this....

Aunty: Yes? (she peered behind her door)

Me: Aunty, your wet clothes are dripping all over to those of the neighbors below your flat.

Aunty: Can't be help. I got no strength to wring them. See, look at my hand..(showing me her palms, trying to gain my sympathy), I suffering from rheumatism... Just been to a doctor yesterday...

Me: You don't have any washing machine? (looking at her with a little doubt)

Aunty: No, don't have.

Me: Woa, you like that, then how neighbors gonna dry their clothes?

Aunty: Just now I hung up my clothes, there was no clothes below wat (trying to tell me that if she's hanging out her clothes, then I shouldn't have hang out mine)

Me: Sure or not? I checked before I put out my clothes wat. I put out mine before you.

Aunty: Now what time only? You dry your clothes so early meh??

Me: ????

Admittedly, I felt like a jerk for having gotten myself into this banter with the aunty. What is a man to do dealing with a "helpless" old woman? I don't want to be accused of "bullying" an old lady, you know. But I also wanted her to know it was extremely self-centered of her for not giving a thought to the neighbours downstairs. I know we've been told to respect the elderly, but come on lah.... some old people can be rather "obstinate", not to mention unreasonable.

The Slim Lady was right that the confrontation would not change anything. But I enjoyed the satisfaction of having to tell the selfish neighbor off to her face. Damn those self-centered people!

Some people are just born lucky, though - they do not have such problem because they live in landed property. Sniff.

Category: Musings