I wonder what will happen the man in the ice cream shop.
It was a hot afternoon. It has been awhile since I've felt heat like this. Sweltering, the type where you will sweat within minutes of being in the sun. I relish it, as it feels like home. We were chopping down weeds in one of the lots near the church, and another team was doing the same at an adjacent lot. We were progressing - rows of weeds and bushes were reduced into holes between fences, where we can see each other's faces.
It felt good. Our sense of contribution was swinging between high levels of contribution to just darn nothingness. How does clearing lots contribute or impact the community that we were in? Will people in the neighbourhood, with 52% unemployment, get jobs with what we were doing? We couldn't understand, but our hearts were open to learn.
The people in the neighbourhood has experienced gentrification. It is possible that the people have moved from another neighbourhood that experienced revitalisation and thus was too expensive to live in. They possibly moved to this neighbourhood as the rent is cheaper - the place is poorer. The neighbourhood that they are in now will probably undergo it too, as it is close to the city. We have not talked to a soul in the neighbourhood, but we were learning that the facade of the neighbourhood was important to let the society and other people know that the neighbourhood is progressing, that there are people here living - too many empty lots are signs of a deteriorating neighbourhood.
The dilapidated ice cream shop stood in between the lots the two teams were clearing. Discovering that the building was an ice cream shop gave us the answer to the many chip bags found among the weeds in the lot. It had chips and ice cream painted outside of the now dirt-filled white-washed building - the building with the blue roof. There were no doors - light shone through the doors and illuminated the house. Tyres were lying on the ground - probably 12 of them. The house must has been abandoned for a long time, as there were vines growing from above and from the ground of the building.
I heard whimpering from within. I jumped instinctively, thinking that a dog was inside. I realised how wrong I was after what felt like a minute or two. My husband said that there was a man inside. Being a curious cat, he went inside the building to check it out before we started work on the building. I couldn't believe him. How could what sounded like a dog be whimpers of a man? How could someone stay in such a building? I couldn't believe him.
Jeff was summoned. He went into the building, and confirmed my husband's statement. I still couldn't believe him. I had to see for myself. Without the thumbs up from Jeff, our team leader, my husband, Jenny ( a fellow co-worker), and I went to the back door to check out what or who it was.
I was afraid. What if the person pounces at me? What if he had syringes in his hand, ready to prick it into my skin? What if I get HIV from my silly act of bravery? I had my husband with me. I'm not afraid.
I shuffled my feet towards the back door. There I see him - a black guy with sunglasses on, lying on a pile of rubble, seemingly enjoying his day. His posture looked similar to a person lying on a beach. He could have been enjoying himself, and we wouldn't be able to tell have it not been for his whimpers.
We prayed for him outside the building. For us to know what to do, and for him to be safe. Thank you Wendy, for leading the prayer. Jeff made a phone call to the church, asking them what they would do with someone they have discovered in an abandoned ice cream shop.
I subconsciously wondered throughout the day on what will happen to the man. Will the church help him get out of the ice cream shop? Where will he stay? I asked Jeff at the end of the day. He mentioned that the church will not do anything in such as case. The man was not causing any harm, and even if they called the police, the police would also leave him as he is, because he has not committed any crime.
My morals are summoned. I do not know whether that was the right thing to do, or whether I would have done differently. I continue to wonder what happened to the man in the ice cream shop.
It was a hot afternoon. It has been awhile since I've felt heat like this. Sweltering, the type where you will sweat within minutes of being in the sun. I relish it, as it feels like home. We were chopping down weeds in one of the lots near the church, and another team was doing the same at an adjacent lot. We were progressing - rows of weeds and bushes were reduced into holes between fences, where we can see each other's faces.
It felt good. Our sense of contribution was swinging between high levels of contribution to just darn nothingness. How does clearing lots contribute or impact the community that we were in? Will people in the neighbourhood, with 52% unemployment, get jobs with what we were doing? We couldn't understand, but our hearts were open to learn.
The people in the neighbourhood has experienced gentrification. It is possible that the people have moved from another neighbourhood that experienced revitalisation and thus was too expensive to live in. They possibly moved to this neighbourhood as the rent is cheaper - the place is poorer. The neighbourhood that they are in now will probably undergo it too, as it is close to the city. We have not talked to a soul in the neighbourhood, but we were learning that the facade of the neighbourhood was important to let the society and other people know that the neighbourhood is progressing, that there are people here living - too many empty lots are signs of a deteriorating neighbourhood.
The dilapidated ice cream shop stood in between the lots the two teams were clearing. Discovering that the building was an ice cream shop gave us the answer to the many chip bags found among the weeds in the lot. It had chips and ice cream painted outside of the now dirt-filled white-washed building - the building with the blue roof. There were no doors - light shone through the doors and illuminated the house. Tyres were lying on the ground - probably 12 of them. The house must has been abandoned for a long time, as there were vines growing from above and from the ground of the building.
I heard whimpering from within. I jumped instinctively, thinking that a dog was inside. I realised how wrong I was after what felt like a minute or two. My husband said that there was a man inside. Being a curious cat, he went inside the building to check it out before we started work on the building. I couldn't believe him. How could what sounded like a dog be whimpers of a man? How could someone stay in such a building? I couldn't believe him.
Jeff was summoned. He went into the building, and confirmed my husband's statement. I still couldn't believe him. I had to see for myself. Without the thumbs up from Jeff, our team leader, my husband, Jenny ( a fellow co-worker), and I went to the back door to check out what or who it was.
I was afraid. What if the person pounces at me? What if he had syringes in his hand, ready to prick it into my skin? What if I get HIV from my silly act of bravery? I had my husband with me. I'm not afraid.
I shuffled my feet towards the back door. There I see him - a black guy with sunglasses on, lying on a pile of rubble, seemingly enjoying his day. His posture looked similar to a person lying on a beach. He could have been enjoying himself, and we wouldn't be able to tell have it not been for his whimpers.
We prayed for him outside the building. For us to know what to do, and for him to be safe. Thank you Wendy, for leading the prayer. Jeff made a phone call to the church, asking them what they would do with someone they have discovered in an abandoned ice cream shop.
I subconsciously wondered throughout the day on what will happen to the man. Will the church help him get out of the ice cream shop? Where will he stay? I asked Jeff at the end of the day. He mentioned that the church will not do anything in such as case. The man was not causing any harm, and even if they called the police, the police would also leave him as he is, because he has not committed any crime.
My morals are summoned. I do not know whether that was the right thing to do, or whether I would have done differently. I continue to wonder what happened to the man in the ice cream shop.
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