Member-only story
Those Two Times Our Lives Were At Stake
A cautionary tale of poverty and violence —a true story
Twice, my husband and I have nearly lost our life due to living with other people — strangers. It is a cautionary tale, but I can look back on it in fondness because of what I have learned.
In 2012, we had no choice but to move in with a nice woman who drove cabs. We were just evicted and couldn’t count on family. Blood may be thicker than water, but the kind spirit of the stranger who took us in, was genuine.
I remember like it was yesterday.
My husband and I were watching something on television, he was also working on the laptop when we heard something that sounded like a waterfall, crashing through the house.
With my heartbeat kicking up and clammy hands, I looked at him. The house was already dilapidated and needed much work. Plenty of mold. However, we were thankful.
But what we saw when we went into the kitchen, was a nightmare.
A giant, gaping hole was over the kitchen table and our dishes. We kept our dishes in a drainer on the tabletop we brought with us because our host already had several of her items on her countertop. What disturbed me though was the water, dirty water flowing from the dark hole above.
