Meeting the Neighbors

Here's how I met my neighbors.  My parents and my brother Brian were helping me move my stuff into my apartment Saturday. I went to the dumpster to throw some stuff away, and when I came back, mom was standing on the sidewalk, chatting with a guy. She introduces him as my neighbor across the landing, Adrian. Great! My mom is super good at meeting people for me. 

Sunday, Brian and I were in the apartment building an apartment's worth of Ikea furniture, when there is a loud knocking on my door. I open it to find a man in his mid-50's standing at the top of my steps.

"I live downstairs and this pounding going on up here has got to stop!" he grumbled at me. Yikes! I said, "you live downstairs? My name is Laura." I make him shake hands, and he says, "Frank." I say, "Frank, I just moved in, and my brother and I are building a table. Sorry it's loud. We'll be done soon." He looks in, sees Brian building a table, and grumbles, "well, alright." and goes back downstairs. Whew! Already making the neighbors angry! So Brian and I try to be quieter, and we finish the table. About 10 minutes after we finish, another pounding on the door. It's Frank! "You folks don't worry about us, you just do what you gotta do, it's okay," he says. I'm pleased he's not angry anymore. I say, "thanks Frank, we're already done!" and he says, "you just go ahead, do what you gotta do." And turns to go back downstairs.  Okay. 20 minutes later, pounding on the door. It's Frank again. "Listen, if you ever need anything, I'm just right downstairs. If you need help carrying something heavy upstairs, or anything, you just come let me know." Frank! What a change of heart. Brian and I speculate that Frank's wife got mad at him for being grumpy with me and made him come back up. Twice. 

Later that afternoon, another knocking on the door. It's not Frank this time, it's Adrian. "Was Frank bothering you?" he asks. "He is so nosy! He's always in everybody's business. He's always looking out the curtains. If my car ever gets stolen, I'm gonna ask Frank who it was, cause I  know he's watching!" I assure Adrian that Frank and I are okay. 

So it seems that even though Frank and Adrian might not see eye-to-eye, they're both looking out for me. (and both nosy, I'd say.)