A few months back a new family moved in next door to me.As it turns out, the family consisted of a father and his 17 year old son and 13 year old daughter.At first I wasn’t too fond of them, ((They moved in 4 am in the morning making quite a bit of noise)) but eventually grew to like them as I discovered the kids were really sweethearts.
Though I am not sure how long they have lived here, I know it’s been less than six months and yet they have become like family to me and the other two families who live in our building.
The kids have become particularly close to my children as we live right across the hall from each other.The boy stops by daily to hang out with my older son and play Playstation and the girl has become like an older sister to my daughter.
Now, though these people have lived here for nearly six months, I had never seen or met the father until last night.His reputation however proceeded him.My children told me he was really strict and very mean and cranky.Tonight I found out just how cranky he can be.
The father works very long hours and is rarely home, hence why I had never so much as seen him.The kids, though very well mannered, didn’t seem to have much by way of food or clothing, yet also didn’t appear to be abused or deprived.At this point, my children pretty much fed them and when I go shopping now, I know I am shopping for 7 people rather than 5.
Anyway, the father comes home tonight a lil early and flips when he finds my children in his home.According to my children, he told them to leave and threw his two children out on the street with no shoes on.After slamming some doors and cursing in the strongest Jamaican accent I had ever heard, he went downstairs and summoned his children to come inside.From there my apartment began as to shake as God only knows what was happening next door.After a while there was no sound or movement and I wondered what had happened.
How could 2 such wonderfully well mannered and intelligent children be raised by such a nut case? Is he abusing them? Where is the mother? One story was she died and another story had her living in another apartment in the Bronx because “There isn’t enough room for her here”.Whatever the case, I feel sorry for the kids next door.
My youngest son complains that his Dad and I are too strict and try to keep him from having sun.After watching the tirade of the father next door, my son came to me and told me he was glad to have me and his Dad as his parents.
