Yesterday a new car, meaning one from this millenium, arrived in the driveway next door. It has Ohio plates. I can only assume one thing, some of the family is down for a visit. The confusing thing is that the 'No Muffler Monster' (aka their only running car) has disappeared since the Ohio car arrived. I hope we don't end up in police involved incident because 2 factions of the Hatfield and McCoy's have gathered together.
Within the first year Dead Mama's family moved in, I was given great detail about how they originally came from the Ohio/Kentucky border area. I assume that this section of Ohio is more like Kentucky than say Cleveland. I honestly don't know what Cleveland is like, but I doubt they talk with a southern twang.
The entire lot used to pack up and travel north every year, but I think when both Daddy and Dead Mama were diagnosed with Alzheimer's, the trips North ended. The first time they left to head north was a very entertaining event for Ed and I.
As usual, Daddy and Rum Son over the course of a week, gave us great details about how they were leaving to visit family in Ohio. To be honest, the mundane nature of who they were going to visit and what relationship, was forgotten immediately. I simply did not care that they were going to see Old Aunt Agnes, who was Dead Mama's cousin's sister-in-law's Aunt, who lived on a farm and raised chickens.
Ed and I watched with great anticipation as they serviced cars, loaded up supplies etc. We had noticed however that Crazy Woman was, well crazier than normal. We were new to her then and didn't understand her..."off her meds" behavior. We knew she had schizophrenia by this time, it was in fact one of those pieces of important information we pulled out of the usual mundane pitter patter that came from Daddy and Rum Son. It was an, "Oh by the way..." kind of announcement.
Yes, that was our reaction too.
So as the rest of the lot worked on packing the car, we noticed Crazy Woman, talking to trees, circling the car, sometimes even pulling things out and bringing them back into the house. Of course that was met with someone bringing it back to the car and an argument ensuing. Now you might understand why Crazy Woman's Fruit Loops the other day, piqued my attention, she is obviously not taking her meds right now.
The day they were leaving, and by this time we had been told their route, towns they were staying in, anticipated arrival time, etc, I noticed that Crazy Woman's car was gone. She randomly just got in the car and took off at times. However a short time later there was a knock on the door. By the way, the knock always tells me that it is one of Dead Mama's family, because in spite of a door bell and a door knocker, they knock by hand.
Rum Son is at the door, and after the usual pleasantries, I am expecting a "goodbye, we'll see you in 2 weeks", but that is not what I got.
To my horror, I am told that Crazy woman is off her meds, tried to hit Dead Mama and Rum Son, then "took off when we called the cops to Baker Act her". I must have missed all that during the day, at the time I worked overnights and was in bed until noon.
Rum Son then tells me, 'we don't know where she is, if you see her...call the cops, there is an active Baker Act on her'. He also tells me the cops assured him, 'they would cruise through looking for her'.
Frankly my mouth is open, I sort of gargle some noise, but before I can actually articulate something, I'm told, "we changed the locks on the house, so she can't get in while we are gone."
My brain is in overload now, I mean you have a mentally ill family member, who is a threat to herself and others, off her meds and on the loose in town, BUT you are STILL going on vacation?? At that point he cheerfully said goodbye and left on vacation.
So in a nutshell, we have an mentally unstable woman, in a car, with no place to go to since the locks are changed on her house and no relatives at home to deal with her, likely to be wandering around the neighborhood for the next 2 weeks.
They had lived here such a short amount of time, I didn't even know Crazy Woman's name at that point. And she showed up, several times in the 2 weeks. I did not call the cops. Can you imagine the call??
"Oh hi, My name is Stephanie Danley and my neighbors, the XXX's left on vacation, but their daughter is loony and there is supposedly a Baker Act on her. They changed the locks on their house and she is now wandering around the yard talking to trees. You tried to get her 3 days ago and she became violent, can you come get her now?" "Ah no, I don't know her name, I think I know her last name and I can give you the address." "oh, OK, thanks, goodbye."
My biggest fear is the cops would come to my house first, then to hers, if they came at all. I work in the media and I know they don't file Baker Acts under addresses. And I know that Baker Acts, unless the person is trying to kill someone, generally get low priority.
The next 2 weeks we made sure the house was locked and the alarm was on. Thankfully either the police found her or she found a place to go because she disappeared. Everyone returned home from Ohio and we got the details of the trip.
And I wish I could tell you this was the strangest thing that happened in our neighborhood.
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