Do you know your neighbours?

Would you notice if one of your neighbours hadn't been around for a while?  Would you care?  Would anyone notice if *you* weren't around?

This morning I was at the door of my apartment and a lady going up the stairs came over and introduced herself as the mother of the girl living directly above me.  She explained that her daughter wasn't well and asked could we exchange telephone numbers just in case anything ever happened.  We chatted and she went off upstairs and I heard her knocking repeatedly on the door as I went out.

When I came back there was a fire engine outside my building and there were firemen on the scaffolding (we are having work done on our roof) breaking in her window and inside more men breaking in her door.  There were plenty of police, but no ambulance.  Then plainclothes police came with a camera.  Why hadn't the ambulance come yet? 

This evening the Services Funeraire people came and took away the girl's body.

I did not know her.  I don't think I ever spoke to her and today was the first time I ever exchanged more words with a neighbour than greetings on the stairs or at the postbox.  Not that this makes much difference to whatever happened to that poor girl, but perhaps someone could have found her sooner?  Called her mother to say she hadn't been seen?  I don't know.

Her poor, poor mother.

Comments

[elenasimona]

That's so very sad :( Well, I'm living in a tiny village, the neighbours generally see everything I do (was NO fun growing up ;)) and would notice if something was off.

[Nicole]

Oh my goodness. How sad. What an awful thing for a mother to discover.

I live in a small town, everyone knows everyone. And everyone notices everything. If an older neighbor hasn't been seen outside her house in a day or so, someone will go over to check on her. We all take food over to those who are sick or have just lost someone.

The gossip wire is strong here! A single, juicy wave of gossip can ripple through town in 30 minutes flat on a good day :-)

[Elizabeth]

This is too horribly sad.
A great friend of mine had exactly the same tragedy -except it was a son.
I don't think one ever recovers.