So something sprung a leak in the bathroom in our landlord's lovely but ancient home. Somehow it was my kid splashing the tub. Then the smoke alarm went off as we were making popcorn. We were asked: Are you sure nothing's on fire? Seriously. We were making popcorn. We are so oblivious and stupid that we need to be asked this question. We wouldn't know or care to check, even though the alarm is going off and we are waving pillows under the damn thing. Besides, a fire would be no big concern to us. Not just for my or my neighbor's lives but for that of my autistic kid who can't and wouldn't know to escape on his own. Last night the police knocked on the door. I didn't answer because of the late hour, James was already sleeping and David wasn't home (big gallery opening). They freaked out! "Ena did you call the police?" Part of me wanted to scream, HELL YES!!! I still have no idea what that was about. I heard something about phones and perhaps their autistic son . . .?? I have had it with my kid being presented as the potential blame for things. He wasn't even in the tub yet the leak night and was asleep for the other "events" (Thank God). So now I am pissed-off mom. I have had it with the heat being extremely low (or off ) during the day and I walk around in sweaters and scarves. Then at ten at night the heat is over-pumped to warm up the house and you lie in bed sweating. It is off again a few hours later after you pass out wet so you wake up shivering. Sometimes the wife puts the heat on quickly before the husband gets home. What she doesn't know is that he sometimes puts it on after she leaves in the morning! Once we complained about the radiator in the bathroom. Since fixing it would be complicated, they suggested that we shut it off. You know, since you warm up in the shower? Oh yeah. And what about my kid who sits in the tub? Sometimes for an hour? And the jagged, rusty stair railings? And the cracked, disintegrating marble doorjamb? And the rattling, drafty, old windows that we can't access to clean? Some with screens, some not, some with gaping holes (not in the screens but along the crumbling window joints). Or the lack of window sill in the rear bedroom because the wood is gone, rotted out? How about the fissures that run down the walls through the floors? I know, I know, technically everything is still usable. And If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Please talk James. Please talk and stick up for yourself.
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