Freak Neighbors, part 2

Okay, so I know everyone has that oddball neighbor. It's better than that weird roommate one always gets in college. You know, the one that never goes outside, only wears black, and smokes stinky clove cigarettes? But, at some point, I'm thinking, this has got to stop. It hasn't yet.

So, as I was saying yesterday, our landlady likes me, and dislikes Weird Walter. Somehow, I made a good impression, and he didn't. Whatever. I keep to myself most of the time, I don't complain, and I ask Mrs. P. if I can do things before I do them (paint part of my apartment, have a garage sale, have a Christmas party). She usually says yes, but I know she appreciates my asking. Walter, on the other hand, seems to revel in being oppositional. I don't think this sits well with Mrs. P. He really got on her nerves first when he was "dog-sitting" for a friend. Walter has a tiny studio apartment, with no yard or patio, and this dog was big; part Pit Bull I think. He didn't ask if he could have the dog, so that was his first mistake. Then, of course, Mrs. P. called him on it, since a dog that size isn't that easy to hide. He told her he was only watching the dog for a "couple of days." After 9 days, Mrs. P. talked to him again. This time, Walter said that his friend had moved, and couldn't take the dog to the new place. Mrs. P. told him that he couldn't have it at this place either. He got angry and tried to argue that Rebekah had a dog, so why couldn't he?

Um. Because his rental agreement said he couldn't? Minor detail I guess.

This did not please Mrs. P.

Moving on. Walter just keeps doing these little things that Mrs. P. has asked him not to do; parking in the wrong spot, washing his car in the main driveway, having people stay here without letting her know there will be guests. He also calls our property management company and asks how long it will be until she comes back from one of her business trips (her job takes her all over the country). That certainly doesn't sit well with Mrs. P. either. I think she feels he is sneaking around while she is gone, doing something nefarious.

If I haven't lost you with my long-windedness, I'll bring you to the present.

Friday morning, Walter crept up on me at 7am just after I'd tossed some things into the trash cans.

"uh! Oh, Walter. I didn't see you there."
"Hi Rebekah, can I talk to you?"
It's the last day of school, my hair is soaking wet, and I have to get ready, and he wants to talk? He goes on,
"What kind of relationship do you have with Mrs. P.?"
"Um. Pretty good I'd say."
"It seems like she doesn't like me so much."
"Oh." (What am I supposed to say?)
So he goes on about his imagined affronts, and finally I tell him that I just ask permission to do things. That she doesn't always say yes to what I ask, but she does most of the time. "It's her place." I say, "and she likes things the way she likes them."
"I don't like asking permission to do what I should be able to do."

Oh well. Your headache.

No, I didn't say that. Not out loud anyway.

But I'm thinking to myself how I do NOT want to be pulled into this drama.

Installment 3 will talk about how I have not been successful so far in doing that.