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Lightless Window
Several months ago, I noticed an elderly American gentleman (maybe in his late 80’s?) getting out of his car weakly to go to his apartment from the parking lot. I sometimes noticed he was accompanied by another woman; she was about as healthy getting out and closing the door barely. I was thinking she was his wife, but one day she disappeared all together. She must’ve passed away.
Whenever I see him, I thought he was grieving the loss of his wife. I learned later that the lady was not his wife but another fellow apartment neighbor and was just helping her by giving her a ride.
He never used the laundry machines in the apartment. He was very tall and was handsome and had always neatly dressed. When I get to see him drive out, I see him carrying his laundry. When his family visits, he would go there and do his laundry. Out of all the residents in the senior apartment, White residents are the least. Chinese, Russian and Korean are the most populous. Next are the Hispanic, American and Middle Eastern. I think out of about 200 residents, there are only 15 pure Americans.
For several months, the 3rd floor of the apartment across where I live was dark for while. Whenever someone moves out, usually the building would be lit for 2 weeks in the end till someone else moves in. I was curious why the building was dark for several months. When I look down where he usually park, the car that he used so cleanly was collecting a lot of dust. Whenever it rains, the rain streak made the car look even dirtier and neglected looking. So I knew starting from January something was wrong with him
But about last month for few hours, the light in the 3rd floor would be on for several hours in the end. I knew someone else had come in to live there.
But, on the 28th of January, I noticed a man and a woman in her 60s trying to jump start the car that was covered in dust. I offered to help with a jumper cable to get the car started, but not only the ignition was problem, there were several other problems on that car. I asked how the gentleman was doing, and she told me she was his daughter, and that he had become admitted to the hospital while back to get treated. Apparently he had passed away few days ago, so the family had come to clear out his room along with few last belongings.
So that’s what it was. The light that was dark for months that had lit again was because his children had come to clean out his place.
The two people that were struggling to get the car started gave up and left. Next Monday after I came back from my office I noticed the car was gone. My wife told me the towing car had taken the car away. The engine refused to light till the end (bad ignition) and was deemed dead. Like his face, the car was used with care and cleanness. The next day, another person was assigned to that spot.
(February 7th, 2017) |
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Wonderous New Records 
Lightless Window