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Image for the poem AMERICAN PSYCHO

AMERICAN PSYCHO

A young lady moved into the apartment building adjacent to where I reside in the summer of 2015. I was neighborly I said hello and welcomed her to the neighborhood. She said she knew me and have seen me out and about taking photos at various establishments around the city. She also said she was interested in having me take some photos and that we would discuss the matter at a later date. On the other hand I could not recollect ever meeting her of taking any photos of her. Believe me when I say I have search through my photography libraries and could not find one photo with her in it. As weeks passed she would receive many visitors, usually at night. Seems like there was always some kind of get together. She invited me a few times to attend a few of her functions. Sometimes I said I would but did not show, other times I just said sorry I can’t make it. One day, one night rather I was coming home and I saw a familiar face Ms. AB sitting on her steps. I stayed my distance and said hello. This familiar face I would see several times and we would converse briefly. She would be standing over looking from my neighbors balcony and I would usually stand under the light post and speak.

One night I was coming home from the grocery store with both hands filled with groceries. I turned the corner on the side of my building and Ms. BB was standing on her balcony, I said good night and stayed straight. Then I heard her say “Neil when you see out on these streets remember I am Unfuckawithable.” I stopped dead in my tracks turned around and said “what did you just say to me.” Once again she repeated the comment “I said, when you see me out in these street remember I am unfuckawithable, so you better speak.” I said ok and went into my apartment. A few days later she sent me a Facebook friend request. Said she worked for Wells Fargo and I was like yeah right! I deleted her request.

What I’ve come to realized about people, especially people who are planted to stir up trouble, to infiltrate, spy on, disrupt one’s peace and sanity, and or possibly plant drugs or even worse set up to be robbed, or worse murdered. They always seem to have this false confidence that they think gives them the right to say anything to intimidate, humiliate and make their targets feel hopeless. They take advantage, using and disposing people as if they were tissue and toilet paper. In my dealings with such peoples I have come to recognize and have learned to distance myself from these kinds of people.

Since that comment I stopped speaking to Ms. BB, Ms. AB stopped coming around and she started having lots of different male company who always seem to arrive just as I arrive home. There were times following that night when I would go into the leasing office to have them fill out workout for repairs to be done in my unit and she would either be there when I arrive, or arrive within seconds of me being in the leasing office. To most people this would seem coincidental but in my case being an individual who has way to much experience in thwarting the psychological harassment directed toward me. These incidences are not normal occurrences. Especially when she is sitting in the leasing office looking directly at me and talking about someone stole money or other items from her apartment. Now of course she was not accusing me but why is she looking at me when she should be looking towards the leasing office employees.

I have live at my same residence since March 2004 and I have had one neighbor for the most part for about eight years when the property was being managed by O’Brien Realty. An African woman that I absolutely loved. She and I went to the same gym. When she found out that I was a personal trainer she inquired about my services. She moved out after she got pregnant to live with her fiancé. Shortly after O’Brien Realty was no longer managing the property and the bank took over. During the time I first moved here, this place was beautiful, a former professional football athlete lived here. The staff was great, I never had to wait a day or two to get anything repaired. The property was kept clean and safe. The management team threw family theme parties to celebrate the holidays. I would usually take photos of the events and they would be printed in the monthly newsletter which was delivered to every residence door every month. The newsletter served as what’s happening or what will happen in the apartment community. I asked them to put up a light post between the two buildings because it was dark and my upstairs neighbor did not feel safe since she comes home late at night from work. I also asked them to place signs asking pet owners to clean up after their pets. These requests were fulfilled to same day I asked. O’Brien Realty truly cared about their residence. I was saddened when they left.

The two years the bank took over it was like I was in the twilight zone. They let anybody live here, drug dealers, violent ex felon who never seem to be rehabilitated. There were fights, stabbings, and I think one shooting. Cars were being vandalized, domestic violence was ridiculous. It seemed like the cops were around all the time. Every few weeks the front gate would be broken, people who could not get in without a card key would literally drive through the gate. Finally they decided to leave the gate open permanently. This created all kinds of unwanted traffic. The office management never took care of anything, the streets and driveway began to deteriorate. Pot holes would appear and nothing would be done for months. The buildings were never pressure washed. Winters were worse, when it snowed, my neighbors and myself would go around shoveling snow and ice. I have a bad back and hip and after shoveling I could not do anything for at least a week. Two years after the bank took over the property it was sold to another management company and thing seemed like they may be back to how things use to be but that did not last long. Two years after purchasing the property they sold it to 1st Community who manages the property today.

This place was a gem and it turned into a nightmare. I had a neighbor boyfriend as I was leaving my apartment and he was leaving hers, without looking spat over the stairs and on me. He apologized and said he was not looking. I wanted to fight but since he apologized I kept a cool head. Then they moved in some dude who was smoking crack and flooded his and my apartment. I asked him nicely to please seek somewhere else to live before I call the authorities and report him to the leasing office. Then this couple who would stand outside my bedroom window at 2am, 3am, and 4am in the morning arguing, yelling and screaming at each other. Running up and down the stairs which is directly behind the head of my bed. I could not get any sleep. He tried to run me over the day they were leaving. I had one good neighbor, a guy who worked for the management company who bought the property from the bank. He and I got along great, he only had a six month lease because he was part of the construction team and was traveling to different apartment communities they own throughout the south. After him they put this Neo Nazi Racist who repeatedly called me a nigger.

Just a little history before I continue with the story of Ms. BB and I. In the early afternoon of September seventeenth 2015 I was leaving to go to the gym, my vehicle was park in the parking lot in front of Ms. BB’s apartment building. I went to put my gym bag in my trunk and notice there was an i.d. of some sought on the pavement behind my vehicle. I picked up the identification card, I could not make out the name or the face of the person because I was not wearing my reading glasses. I saw the leasing office manager heading towards her vehicle and I proceeded to take the i.d. to her. When I reached the managers car I heard someone screaming my name. I ignored the yelling and knocked on the window and handed the leasing manger the i.d. I explained to her where I found it and told her I could not make out the name or the face. I asked her upon her viewing the i.d. if she recognize and know who the person is, and she said she did not know the i.d belonged to. I heard someone say “don’t you hear me calling you, you bitch ass motherfucker.” I turned around and there was Ms. BB standing in front of me. I shouted to her “stay away from me at least six, seven, or eight times. Soon we were surround by five employees. I turned to head back to my vehicle when Ms. BB slapped me and grabbed my sunglasses in the process and breaking it. I slapped her right back. She took off her shirt and threw her hands in the air as if she wanted to brawl. I went into the leasing office and the property manager called the authorities. I filed a report and they issued a warrant for her arrest.

Later that afternoon I was heading out to photograph an event and found my vehicle vandalized. One of my neighbors son saw what she was doing and called his mom and sister who assisted him in video taping Ms. BB vandalizing my vehicle. I met a guy who was visiting someone who said he saw her breaking my windshield, damaging my door and keying my vehicle. I asked him why did he not stop her. His reply was that it was not his car she was fucking up so he just ignored her. I called the authorities again, I showed them the video and they put out an APB on her. Late that night I returned home and went to do my laundry. I was heading to my apartment building and saw another of my neighbor. We standing and talking in the adjacent parking lot across from my building when Ms. BB pulled up got on top her vehicle acting like King Kong. I was crossing the street when she attempted to run me over. I went up to the leasing office which was closed and called the authorities again. They arrived and took Ms. BB into custody.

I went and filled out a restraining order on Ms. BB. Which I have in my possession. I showed the videos to the magistrate. She said that her actions and the damage to my vehicle was a felony. She issued another warrant. I went to court, but had no idea that it was a mediation hearing. Ms. BB also had an altercation with another person, A woman who coincidentally I just happen to know. She went to a mediation meeting with Ms. BB. I did not. I mean She assaulted me, destroyed and vandalized my property and made an attempt on my life which was caught on camera. This was about 1pm. I sat in the court room until after 4pm. The prosecuting attorney did not even approach me to give me the detail of the court date which he had given to Ms. BB at 1pm. I asked him to write his name, email and phone number where he could be reach after asking another prosecuting attorney (a woman) to look into the matter for me. He had me sitting there for over three hours when he should have giving me what I needed the same time he gave Ms. BB the trial date.

Two day after the mediation court hearing I email Mr. GD I sent him all the information, officers name and badge numbers, the video tapes of Ms. BB vile and cruel actions. Also the restraining order file number. Weeks went by and I heard nothing. I did not get a phone call from the victims crimes unit or whatever. I asked to speak to someone else. I received a call from a woman in the victims assistance department soon after. I sent her all the information I sent to Mr. GD.

The trail date came and there I was in court, the plaintiff hoping that the American Judicial Systems works in favor of victims, especially victims with tangible evidence, video recordings that places a suspect at a crime scene and show a suspect attempting to cause grievous bodily harm. I was told by the prosecuting attorney that the videos were inadmissible and they would have to call an apple video expert to testify that the videos were authentic because it was taking on an iPad. It would be too expensive to do such things. I was like WTF! What if I had not moved out of the way and she had hit me with her vehicle.

I said to her it seem like someone is trying to protect her rather than seeing that justice is served. She responded by saying that “it’s not like what you see on television.” Heck I wish it were, I thought to myself. There were two police officers in the courtroom who took her into custody and they did not say anything, they looked as though they were trying to ignore me. I told the prosecuting attorney that the officers were there. She went and spoke with them returning she said they recognized me. Anyway Ms. BB was charge with assault and paid me in cash for the sunglasses she destroyed. As for my vehicle because I am insured and the repairs were covered she did not have to pay anything for the damages.

Call it whatever you wish, I have never had any experience with or in the judicial system in any capacity until now and I must admit to you that it left a really bad taste in my mouth and almost made me emotional (not the Carl Thomas emotional). Aye Caramba!

On the bright side the new management company has been doing great trying to restore the luster of this apartment community. I just hope that they care enough to not let the place I have called home since I first moved to Charlotte in 2004 become like another Cabrini Green Southern style.

Written by Neil Hadyn Nicholson
Written by thewatcher33
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