THE LAST PART.
Is it over? Conspiracy theories abound.
I retreat to my apartment for a while. I'm in shock. I don't know who to call or text or whether I should call anyone at all. My neighbor downstairs has like 5 people over almost every day. Are they gonna give them all the SWAT treatment? It seems like I'm the only one that got the special treatment and I wonder if I'm being told the truth.
I mean.. supposedly this all started because my neighbor had a nosebleed?
The police told me I could leave if I wanted, so after about another half hour I take a stroll, thinking I will get a beer at the corner store or something.
All is quiet on the western front when I go outside..
I slowly walk around the neighborhood, I am still too wound up after being cuffed and having heavy artillery pointed at my head to go straight to the store.
I see an old friend from work they pull up and say hi. I told them I missed them. They asked what I was up to and I said I was just out for a walk. I thought about telling them about being SWATTED* but it was too soon, so we made small talk and we said our goodbyes.
AT THAT EXACT MOMENT my other friend from work texts me 5 times..
I had called and told no one of my ordeal,, WTF was happening?
I ignored the text and kept walking. I could get back to my other friend later (had he somehow heard about what had happened?)
I felt like GOD or the universe or GODDESS was telling me to leave my apartment and this small town.
But then I asked GODDESS, if you want me to leave town why send a SWAT team?? Why not just send me the three months of back unemployment checks I was owed? Then I can AFFORD to leave town!
It had been a rough summer, I felt like I was fired for bogus reasons. It made me question everything. If I can get fired from a job I gave years of my life to for bogus reasons, what other things could happen? Could I be arrested for bogus reasons? Could I be SWATTED* (or killed, or both?) for bogus reasons? Why not? It wouldn't be the first time it happened and so why not me.
The summer of 2020 was a bit of an existential crisis, much like 2016 in some ways but for different reasons. Being SWATTED* actually didn't even come as that much of a surprise to me. I basically took it in stride. The police officers and I handled the situation as best we could. I know the police basically have an impossible job and I told them so. I don't envy them, and I told them so.
After my usual walkabout, I stop at the corner store and get two 22 ounce beers. NO BAG (they aren't required anymore and I don't want some police officer thinking I'm brown-bagging a piece.)
As I approach my crib, a 22 ounce beer in each hand I see two more police squad cars the one rolls by me says supervisor on the side (so glad I had refused the brown bag!) I give him the head nod and acknowledge his presence as he rolls past.
The other squad car is parked on my dead end street. He gets up and out of the seat and I nod at him as well, one of my neighbors' regular visitors is also pulling up in a big truck and not only that but my on-site landlady is up by my door.
It's not quite like all hell is breaking loose, but it's way more activity than what we normally see in my small town little apartment complex.
As I approach my place the second policeman got in his car and drove off. My on-site manager is speaking to another tenant. I am cluthching my IPA bottles as I approach.
“So do we all have to move out now?” I joke. I can see she is posting a flyer on everyone's door. I am waiting for some weird news like one of my neighbors has killed themselves and we all have to evacuate.
“It's just a routine fire alarm inspection.”
mmm.hmmm. A routine fire alarm inspection that you happen to be posting on everyone's door on the exact same day the SWAT team was here and they just left a half hour ago?
“Did they ever figure out what happened earlier?” I asked. “Did someone's water heater explode or something?”
“No they never figured it out, that's why they came back they said it doesn't make any sense.”
I check my door and yes, there is a notice they now want to do an inspection about the fire alarms.
My apartments are under new management and the new management hasn't done any of the regular inspections or walk throughs or fire alarm checks or anything the previous managers have done.
It's a little bit of a co-inky-dink that they chose TODAY, of all days, to do it.
My manager says
“So I guess I missed all the fun earlier.”
“Yes, I think I had the most fun.” (AFAIK, I was the only one handcuffed and questioned.)
“Well, at least you will have one quiet night tonight.”
“Okay.?” I was skeptical. I guess what she was saying is that my neighbor got arrested and would not be home tonight to disturb me?
I hadn't realized. I felt like there was a lot of missing information in what the police, my landlady, and the universe in general was providing me.
I finally had to talk to someone about it, so I phoned a friend and spilled my guts.
Just after that, THE CENSUS TAKER showed up at the apartment downstairs!!
Then they went to my neighbor's who might have gotten arrested!!
Consipiracy theories abound, police coordinating with federal census takers coordinating with fire alarm inspectors etc....
As I am typing this up, I'm afraid to close my blinds and turn off the lights. I figure if the cops are watching me I will let them check me out tonight. It is quiet as a crypt outside. The usual comings and goings of a few neighbors, but no police. Not a peep from the neighbor next door.
The end?
*The term SWATTED is used loosely in this story, it may or may not refer to having someone call a SWAT team on you on purpose with false accusations.
No comments:
Post a Comment