memories...

There have been so many things happening lately. Too many changes…hopefully for the better. For one thing, we finally closed on the property we’ve been trying to sell! Yeah! It was about time and we sold it to developers who also bought the house next door. They are going to demolish both properties and construct new condos.

Although, I’m happy that we sold our property, it also makes me sad to let it go. Not only was it our first property and home together but also it was where our kids spent their first few years of their lives growing up. We drove by the house the other day, and it brought back so many memories.

I remember when we first moved in. I started to wonder what the hell were we thinking buying that house and in that neighborhood? It was gang city! There were gang members hanging around on every corner of our block. Every weekend, we would wake up to the sound of a car alarm, as it was being broken into or left to burn on the alley behind our house. We got ours broken into a couple of times. We’ve had to call the fire department several times. We used to live across the street from an elementary school and the gang members would hold their gang meetings in the school’s playground! Could you believe it!? I’ll never forget late one Sunday afternoon, we came out to go to the store and there must have been over 50 guys outside (I’m not exaggerating either!) on the school’s playground! People were afraid to come out and too scared to call cops, they just did not want to get involved in case the gang members found out who ratted on them. The gangs had run of the whole neighborhood.

Every week there was at least one gang shooting. One night, my husband was about to walk out the front door but my dog went out before him. And the next thing we knew, we heard gunshots! A guy was running forward as he was holding his gun and shooting behind him. Our dog was sitting by the front gate just watching them run by. My husband quickly stepped inside. I was at the top of the stairs yelling out to him, “Get Beau inside and close the door!” He was against the wall near the door yelling back at me saying, “Hell no!” “I don’t want to get shot!”

So you ask yourself, why would you miss that? Well, soon things began to change.

When my hubby suspected something was going on or about to happen, or just knowing that a little group was beginning to form on the corner of our block, he would call the cops…day and night!

Every garage door was filled with gang graffiti and the alleys were dirty and full of garbage. One day, my husband bought a couple of cans of paint and began to paint over our garage door, including our next-door neighbor’s. The following day, there would be more graffiti. And once again, there goes my husband getting the paint and painting over it. He did this not once or twice but several times. Each time there was graffiti on the property, he would paint over it. He wouldn’t give up! He then went around asking our neighbors if he could do the same to their garage doors. Some neighbors would say, “What for, they’ll only do it again! It’s a waste of money and paint!” Others were astonished but happy that there was someone willing to do it!

My hubby and I would also get up and start cleaning out the garbage from our alley every Sunday morning. We would start with our side and soon he ended up going all the way to the end of the alley. At first, being the “bitch” that I am, I said to him, “Why are you cleaning up after everybody?” “Let them do the work!” And he would say, “Just leave me alone, I know what I’m doing.” And sure enough, one day a neighbor came out and began to help us, and for the next couple of weeks a couple more neighbors began to join us in the clean up. I was amazed! Not only were people no longer afraid to come outside, but also our alleys were beginning to look clean and our garage doors were free of graffiti!

Late one night, we came home from a party and as we were walking towards the house, my husband stops me and says, “Do you hear that?” I’m looking around thinking “Oh shit!” I’m starting to get scared. He says, “No, no, listen!” I’m looking at him wondering what the hell is he talking about? I don’t hear anything! Then it hit me. I knew what he meant. For the first time ever, our block was quiet. The only sound came from a couple of cars driving by. I looked around the school and at the corner…no more gangs hanging around!

Pretty soon, cops would drive by everyday to keep and eye on our neighborhood. No, more cars burning in the alley, no more drug dealings, no more pit bull fights and no more gang shootings!

Yes!!!! With the help of our neighbors, we finally took over!

We’ve had our share of good times and bad times. But one of the memories that came to mind was of my two little kids walking out the front gate carrying their little backpacks on their way to school, smiling and waving goodbye at me and I had a sense of relief knowing that they would be o.k.