Not for the first time, I was pulled from the depths of slumber by the sound of a woman crying. At first I thought perhaps I'd misheard, so I merely turned over and reunited with my pillow. As is usually the case, however, the crying and screaming was not to be ignored. After hearing it again, I got up and peered out my window to see what I could see. There was nothing amiss in the parking lot, and it was difficult to pinpoint where exactly the sounds were coming from. I then went to my living room, and looked out the window there. Again, nothing. As I stood scratching my head, and figuring out my plan of action, I heard a man's voice telling the woman to "Shut the !@#$ up!" More crying and screaming followed.
As I said at the beginning of this post, this isn't the first time I've dealt with this situation. This isn't even the first time I've dealt with it at this apartment complex. At a former residence, I dealt with it on an almost weekly basis. My neighbors fought all the time, and it was not uncommon to hear the female in the courtyard screaming for her bf to come back and to hear him respond "Get back in the apartment before I do something you'll regret." At some point after he drove off, I'd try to talk to the girl...help her think about her options. It was like repeatedly running into a brick wall. After a little less than a year, the couple moved. Maybe it had something to do with the frequency of the cops knocking on their door, or maybe the shame of everyone knowing about their business was too much to handle. Who knows. I pray that both are alive and well.
Back to this morning. I decided the best course of action would be to attempt to pinpoint where exactly the abuse was taking place. I got dressed, and went outside. All was clear. I pretended I was walking to my car, and as I rounded a corner, I immediately heard the sounds of arguing. To make sure I had the right apartment, I rounded another corner to get to the parking lot to where my car was actually parked. As it turns out, my car was parked mere feet from their bedroom window. I confirmed the sounds of arguing and screaming, then quickly went back to my apartment and called the cops. After giving the appropriate information, I stood by my bedroom window, watching and waiting. I then witnessed the girl emerge from her building, crying a little. She hopped in her car and was off. Seriously, 1-2 minutes later, she came back with a man in her car. They parked, and I guess they went into her apartment. I'm not exactly sure what happened here...who this man was...or anything. I made another trip to my "car", and on the way back to my apartment, I passed the girl and this guy. Both were smiling and talking...they even smiled at me. I know some of you are like me, and are wondering "where were the police?". Good question. WHERE were THE POLICE? To my knowledge, they did not show up.
I'm up now...so much for sleeping in. I'm trying to figure out how to reach out to this girl, for this actually is not the first time I've been woken up by DV against her. The last time was a few months ago, and a bit more severe. As someone who works for an abuse center, I feel it is my duty to talk to her. As a Christian, I know I must reach out to this hurting woman. I must extend to love and mercy of my Savior. not just to figure out the logistics...
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