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Over the past 20 years I have occasionally been requested by a bank or mobile home park owner to go in and clean up an abandoned mobile home that had been repossessed by the mortgage holder.
It's always a sad affair because there's usually children involved that totally have no control over what's happening in their life.
Anyway, when it happens there are always signs of depression and sorrow left behind. Sometimes, like in this case that I took on last week, the occupant left in a hurry and took only what seemed to be the clothes on their back, leaving behind furniture, electronics for children, T.V. sets, clothes and bedding, photographs of the family and books including bibles and prayer books.
It was difficult for me to not wonder just what went on that would cause it to happen. In this case it wasn't dirty and smelly but terribly messy. The sleeping bags and bedding including pillows were still there as though the family had just disappeared off the face of the earth.
My curiosity caused me to ask some of the neighbors if they knew the situation with these folks, and no one was really able to give me insight except to say the husband had divorced the lady and left her with 3 children. One older teen age son that was slightly retarded.
Now I know that people who get evicted for various reasons, usually a lack of money, are given a date when they are supposed to be out and off the premises. So when that date comes and the reality hits them that they must leave, they often times have made no preparations to move. On the last day they make their hasty retreat, leave town unannounced and say goodbye to no one. Shame of the situation sets in and they leave no forwarding address because they don't want to be harrassed by creditors involved. Nobody can reach them.
This is so sad. They also think that they can't go back for any of their belongings for fear they would be trespassing. So they leave it all behind forever.
Time after time, I have attempted to get word to them so they could at least come back and get their belongings, but to no avail. So off to the dump it goes. 2 tons of it in this case. It was heavy on my mind as I decided to drain the 30 gal. fish tank they had also left behind. I got it about half empty when a little gold fish appeared looking directly at me. I did a double take and there it was for sure. A closer look and there was a black one there too! It was hard to believe my eyes since no one had lived there for over a week. Then a third, beautiful white one showed up! All staring at me.
The water was murky and there was a strong odor of ammonia emitting from it, which indicates contamination. I immediately quit draining the water and went on cleaning up other things in the room.
I couldn't help but glance back once in a while and every time, there it was looking right at me. It was as if it was asking me to help. I went home that night with that little fish pictured in my mind.
Early the next day I returned to the place and when I entered the room, I walked over to the tank and couldn't see any of them. Although there was a jungle of foliage where they could hide, I thought they might have passed on, but as I was about to turn away, there they were. Staring at me again. I worked again through out the day and once again went home that night with them still on my mind but intending to take them out of the tank the next day . My intention was to take them to Petco in a baggy full of water to see if they would take them. I'm not much of a pray'er but I whispered a little prayer that they'd be kept safe. It became an obsession with me to not let them die. After all, the medical profession didn't let me die when I needed them a few months earlier!
Early the next morning I headed over there, this time with a baggy in hand. I unlocked the door and immediately walked over to the fish tank. There they were, looking at me as usual.
The night before, my wife had suggested I might try calling PetCo. As a last resort, I called them. I talked to the manager and was very pleasantly surprised to be told she was wanting to have some more for her collection at home. To add to my pleasure, she was delighted to know she could also have the 30 gal. tank and equipment to go with them.
Later that afternoon, she arrived with a friend to help her remove them and with no further adieu,
drove off into the sunset, thrilled about their catch.
I drove home as well, knowing I had made the whole works happy. It was a great feeling and I mused happily all the way home. No hero, just happy! Just sayin'.
The water was murky and there was a strong odor of ammonia emitting from it, which indicates contamination. I immediately quit draining the water and went on cleaning up other things in the room.
I couldn't help but glance back once in a while and every time, there it was looking right at me. It was as if it was asking me to help. I went home that night with that little fish pictured in my mind.
Early the next day I returned to the place and when I entered the room, I walked over to the tank and couldn't see any of them. Although there was a jungle of foliage where they could hide, I thought they might have passed on, but as I was about to turn away, there they were. Staring at me again. I worked again through out the day and once again went home that night with them still on my mind but intending to take them out of the tank the next day . My intention was to take them to Petco in a baggy full of water to see if they would take them. I'm not much of a pray'er but I whispered a little prayer that they'd be kept safe. It became an obsession with me to not let them die. After all, the medical profession didn't let me die when I needed them a few months earlier!
Early the next morning I headed over there, this time with a baggy in hand. I unlocked the door and immediately walked over to the fish tank. There they were, looking at me as usual.
The night before, my wife had suggested I might try calling PetCo. As a last resort, I called them. I talked to the manager and was very pleasantly surprised to be told she was wanting to have some more for her collection at home. To add to my pleasure, she was delighted to know she could also have the 30 gal. tank and equipment to go with them.
Later that afternoon, she arrived with a friend to help her remove them and with no further adieu,
drove off into the sunset, thrilled about their catch.
I drove home as well, knowing I had made the whole works happy. It was a great feeling and I mused happily all the way home. No hero, just happy! Just sayin'.
