An Unpleasant Memory

Reading Inti's post about trusting neighbors brought back a nasty experience I had over 20 years ago when I was living in the city during my first (and last) career stint in the country. My cousins and I rented a 4-bedroom house. The place is safe. It's very secure, we have guards (the neighbors' big dogs), or so we thought, until one day when I got home to find out there had been a break-in, and my room was the sole target.

I was shocked, even more so when we discovered that nothing was stolen. The computer, mobile phone, jewelry, ^{(I was fond of expensive earrings and necklaces then)} and others were there. My piggy bank remained untouched.

My closet, however, was a different story, specifically where my intimate apparel sets were stored. Even my bed was a mess. Some of my bras were all over it.

The thought that a pervert had touched my belongings terrified me to the core. I shivered. And so, without thinking twice, I took all of them, even my pricey sets, ^{(I loved branded stuff then, especially undies and bras)} and tossed them in a garbage bag. I scrubbed every corner of my room, changed my beddings, and curtains. It felt like they had been infected.

The following nights were usually spent lurking by the windows, observing the surroundings, trying to catch who the devil was, although my cousins suspected the guy next door, our closest neighbor. He seemed to be acting weird lately, with reddish eyes, and there is a rumor down the street that he and the other guys up there are doing drugs, they said. I was even more horrified; my mind was flooded with sickening thoughts.

We passed by his house every day, and he seemed disinterested. He would sit quietly by their doorstep while his mother smiled or conversed with us. But yeah, I left that place soon after. I became paranoid. Even when I moved to a new apartment, I always checked my things, making sure no one laid hands on them.

I don't recall when my nerves settled, but the experience kept me on the edge for quite a long time. Being reminded of it now, I still felt a certain pang of yikes. While I didn't have the chance to confirm our suspicion, the experience taught me to never really trust anyone, even our seemingly unintrusive neighbors!