The first house I really remember is the townhouse my family lived in from the time I was a toddler until the summer I was seven. It was (cue music) a wonderful neighborhood for a child: the houses were set on one big court, so the road was relatively safe for bike riding and roller skating. We had a park in the center for kick ball and Red Rover (and more obscure games like "What Time is it, Mr. Fox?" and "Colored Eggs"). We had the swimming pool, and lots of other kids of every age.
When I think about that house, it is nearly always summer in my memory. Often one or more of the neighbors would grill dinner outside, and we kids would be allowed to roast marshmallows on the embers afterwards. The adults would gather in someone's backyard and sit and talk and play cards while we played croquet, and as the sun faded we'd catch lightning bugs.
After dark children would be sent to bed. My bedroom was on the back side of our house, my bed under the window. I would lie there in the dark hearing the murmur of voices and laughter from the grownups out back. Sometimes I'd go back outside in my nightgown, the grass cool and wet under my bare feet, and protest that since they were making so much noise that I couldn't sleep, I might as well stay up and play...
That never worked, and I'd be sent back to bed. While sure they were keeping me awake, the next thing I knew all was quiet and the morning sun would be streaming in the window.
Today I live in a townhouse, and my room is again on the back, with my bed under the window.
I had to be at work early today. In preparation, I took a hot bath last night to relax, put on my clean jammies, and packed my lunch and my briefcase. I was in bed at 9:30. Ahhhh.
Except the voices and laughter from the patio next door failed to lull me to sleep.
My next door neighbors frequently entertain, and this spring they built a new deck and put up a new awning out back. They've had a few parties, but last night's was bigger and louder and somehow more annoying.
I thought about going over and asking them to please turn it down...that would be the neighborly way to handle it. But I've done that before and it hasn't helped. When Victor goes over it sometimes works, and my ex used to be able to get them to shut up, but I think there's a cultural thing going on where the request of a woman is not taken very seriously.
So when the party had only gotten louder by 10:15, I was an asshole. I called the cops.
Unfortunately the cops had some real crimes to deal with first, so it was close to 11:30 before the volume dropped. But drop it did, like a stone, and when it did I looked out the front window to see the cruiser driving away.
I'm hoping that this will lead to quieter parties. I'm fearing retaliation. Even once the party stopped, I couldn't fall asleep. I was too wound up, thinking too hard of all the things they might do to get back at me. It was not a restful night.
I'd love to be able to sleep like I did when I was five.
Posted by Nic at June 27, 2005 01:00 PM