Friday 13 January 2012

Something positive

Something really scary happened to me yesterday. I mean, really freaking scary, and not in a "Bex is being a sarcastic bee-hotch again."

As I've moaned about before, we live in a tiny wee flat. It's not in a big block of flats, it's one of three in the building. I think the row of buildings used to be a row of shops before our landlords company bought most of them and converted them. He's been doing a pretty good job and over the years the place has gone from a run down looking thing into something that looks like, eventually, it could be quite nice and presentable. The building has a heavy, reinforced front door, and each flat has its own key and an intercom system. Given the area we live in (one of the main roads leading down to Liverpool Football Club's stadium) it can get noisy and a little busy outside. There's been a few occasions where we've locked our door and drawn the blinds as it were (well no, that's not true, Ben ALWAYS pokes his head out of the window to see what's going on!) but we're pretty damn secure in here. It'd take a lot for someone not only to break into the building but then to get into our individual flat.

So yesterday, with my door locked, I'm pottering around. Well, to be precise, I'd decided to have a shower. Yes it was just before 4 in the afternoon, but I just really really felt the need to freshen up (have been feeling a bit run down lately). I potter on into the living room where my clothes are all neatly lined up for me. Oh yeah, my flat is so small that my bedroom is litterally big enough for our double bed and some boxes of detritus we've no where else to put, so my wardrobe and ottoman are in the front room and we get dressed in there. It's ok, because we're on the second floor. Who is going to see us prancing around naked humming the Skyrim theme to ourselves up there?

Who indeed.

So humming the Skyrim theme (I was about to play it, you understand) on went my lovely undies (and thank God they were clean and generous in their coverage of my ample body) and I slipped on my white blouse and began buttoning it down when I hear a key in the front door of my flat. Not the building...my own, individual, sacred and secure little flat

Now my mind instantly leapt to one thing...Ben is home early. It was four in the afternoon, and he doesn't leave work till six. However, he was meant to be going to the gym after work. And he would have told me he was coming home early. He has played a little trick on me before where he didn't tell me he was coming home....however he always called out through the door...and all I could hear were strange voices outside.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" shout I, going to see who is waltzing through my front door. He hadn't opened it fully, I couldn't see who it was. One of those adrenaline pumping, everything slows down moments I think, because I was pooping myself. It definitely wasn't Ben, because he would have called through by that point.

Keep in mind right now that the hallway goes from my front door straight into my living room so I'm stood there in full view not knowing whether to protect my dignity or protect myself or protect my property because I haven't a clue who is opening that door.

Despite me shouting out, the guy on the other side opens up and steps inside...the door is pretty much fully open and he is a step inside my flat, but face to face with me in naught but my lovely undies and my half buttoned up blouse. I'd never seen him in my life. Given he was dressed in a white hoody I thought at first he was one of my landlords workmen, but they've always knocked before now, and the landlord has always let us know that he is having work done in a letter which he personally delivers.

I waved my hand at him in a "get out!" kind of motion because I was absoloutely gobsmacked. It then really hit me that my lower half was naked so I kind of tried to hide behind the door frame, still waving frantically at him to go. He made a strange, strangled noise. He could have been anyone, but he was clearly as shocked as I was, in a way. Eventually I found my voice, and in a clear, assertive tone (which surprised me when I was looking back on it later...adrenaline survival instincts I guess) I just said "Could you please get out?"

No swearing or hollering, rather polite in fact.

He legged it.

I heard him say something to whoever it was he was with, and I ran and locked the door, for all the good it would have done since he clearly had a working key to my flat.

I called Ben first because it was my first reaction, and then I called the landlord. He was fuming, and told me he was looking into it. Ten or fifteen minutes later he called back and said he'd found out the intruder was an employee of a lettings management company he uses to find and vet tenants. The other person I heard him speaking to was the person he was showing around. He was supposed to be showing him around flat two downstairs (the one with the big brass numeral two on the door...perhaps sir requires some basic maths lessons?). Landlord had given them a master key and evidently mister stupid had never been to the building before. Complete, utter stranger.

There was nothing much that could be done. The young man in question never came back. I heard him in the flat downstairs and then they left. Not even so much as a knock on the door to appologise and explain who he was and why he was there. My landlord has had very stern words with the company in question...I don't know whether he is taking it further.

But something positive may well come from this.

My landlord has always done good by us and has been understanding and patient at times when we've struggled. So I said to him, after everything is said and done I don't feel so secure in here. Other peoples guests feel free to roam the stairs and knock on the door, and that wasn't a problem before because frankly I just ignored them, but having someone just unlock the door and walk straight on in is a bit of an "enough is enough" moment. I explained we were looking for a two bedroomed house and wondered if he had any.

As it happens, he has an empty one that he is managing on behalf of another lady a few streets away from us. We know the area and the transport links. It's within walking distance of the gym. Our parents won't have to struggle to learn a new area of the city. I won't struggle to get to work, and we're still only a bus ride away from our local ASDA. The street backs on to a huge park. Yes we're still just down the way from the stadium but it's off the main road. It was slightly over our budget, but he says it's been empty for a while and so he can probably get it for a better price. All things going well we'll be looking around it a week today, and because he knows us and we're sticking with him he doesn't require a deposit.

I'm not putting all my eggs in this basket but it could be just the kind of place we're looking for, and if we get things our way we could be moving out at the end of February. I'm really excited at the prospect, and can't wait to see what the place is like next week!

I believe everything happens for a reason, so whilst I'm rather shaken and completely enraged by that idiot of a lettings agent, whoever he was, and embarrassed and humiliated that he saw me in my most vulnerable state (at home half naked) which is a state which only my husband is allowed to see me, I'm rather pleased that we have the prospect of something rather positive coming out of it all :)
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3 comments:

  1. Want a bed? When you move xxx

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  2. Holy smokes, that sounds so creepy! I am glad you're looking for a new place, I wouldn't want to stay somewhere where that happened, either!!!

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  3. @Becky I figured we'd get whichever man in a van to pop over yours and pick up adams off of you guys then :)

    @Mart yeah it was rather creepy...but we were hoping to move out sometime this year anyhow so this might just be sealing the deal :)

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