- Joined
- Sep 23, 2005
- Messages
- 364
- Purraise
- 1
Here's the situation. I live on the third story of a 12-unit apartment building. One of the second-story tenants is a single mom with three boys. She's about my age (early forties). She works, but is always struggling for survival.
In the past, I have been quite neighborly to her. I have baked cookies for her kids, let them borrow videotapes, treated them at Halloween, even given her OTC medicine and chicken soup when they were sick.
For at least the past six months, she has not had a working telephone in her apartment, presumably because she wasn't able to pay the bill. She comes up and asks to use mine, and up until recently it wasn't a problem.
A few days ago, she came up three times in one evening, and then late that night someone called for her (their caller ID must have picked up my number). They asked for her and when I told them she didn't live here but used my phone sometimes, they wanted me to go and get her. I told them I was already in bed. No dice.
Last night when she knocked, I ignored it and hoped she couldn't hear me moving around in my apartment. I felt supremely silly hiding out in my own home, but I have to admit to feeling a little taken advantage of. I can't feel comfortable trying to have a quiet evening in my pajamas, you know?
Then I feel guilty. I am a single woman and live in far better circumstances than she does, etc. etc. etc. Is it really that much of a hassle for me to let her use my phone?
Then I think of the calls she usually makes. She tells me they're people who owe her money and she's calling to have them drop it by, but is it money or drugs? She's very vague on the phone, usually saying, "Are you going to come by? When?" and that sort of thing. She is black and I am white, so even suspecting this makes me feel like Archie Bunker's girlfriend. *sigh*
Am I being a terrible and selfish person not wanting to let this woman break in on my evening every night? Of course if she had an emergency or one of the kids was sick I would help her immediately; but how can I make that clear without telling her "Otherwise, stay away?" lol I've even thought of adding an extra line to my cell phone for her, but I'm afraid if I do that, she might run up a huge bill that I can't afford to pay, or use all my minutes. What would you do?
In the past, I have been quite neighborly to her. I have baked cookies for her kids, let them borrow videotapes, treated them at Halloween, even given her OTC medicine and chicken soup when they were sick.
For at least the past six months, she has not had a working telephone in her apartment, presumably because she wasn't able to pay the bill. She comes up and asks to use mine, and up until recently it wasn't a problem.
A few days ago, she came up three times in one evening, and then late that night someone called for her (their caller ID must have picked up my number). They asked for her and when I told them she didn't live here but used my phone sometimes, they wanted me to go and get her. I told them I was already in bed. No dice.
Last night when she knocked, I ignored it and hoped she couldn't hear me moving around in my apartment. I felt supremely silly hiding out in my own home, but I have to admit to feeling a little taken advantage of. I can't feel comfortable trying to have a quiet evening in my pajamas, you know?
Then I feel guilty. I am a single woman and live in far better circumstances than she does, etc. etc. etc. Is it really that much of a hassle for me to let her use my phone?
Then I think of the calls she usually makes. She tells me they're people who owe her money and she's calling to have them drop it by, but is it money or drugs? She's very vague on the phone, usually saying, "Are you going to come by? When?" and that sort of thing. She is black and I am white, so even suspecting this makes me feel like Archie Bunker's girlfriend. *sigh*
Am I being a terrible and selfish person not wanting to let this woman break in on my evening every night? Of course if she had an emergency or one of the kids was sick I would help her immediately; but how can I make that clear without telling her "Otherwise, stay away?" lol I've even thought of adding an extra line to my cell phone for her, but I'm afraid if I do that, she might run up a huge bill that I can't afford to pay, or use all my minutes. What would you do?