The Neighbor

As I was going out of the elevator tonight, I saw this young neighbor running in the hallway with what looked like a bleeding hand. She shoved past me and rushed down the stairs.

Adrenaline mixed with sheer curiosity, I chased her down the stairs; caught her up in the lobby and told her to let me help. She showed me her hand. Blood! I hate blood! She told me that she saw an old eyebrow shaver under her bed and sliced her palm to see if the blade's still sharp.

I took her back to her room to fix the palm before I could think of anything unpleasant to say.

Her room was a big mess. Bottles of Soju (Korean gin) are on the floor. Unwashed dishes on the sink. Looks like the room is not inhabited by a human being. A total slob. The OCD in me wanted to do a cleaning spree but decided that I must do something about her wound first. I went to her bathroom to get some towel or tissue or anything to clean her wound but the toilet bulb is busted.

How can anyone survive with no light in the toilet?!!

She has no first-aid kit. What do I expect? I have none either. I decided to put some super glue on her wound to stop the bleeding and got her a new bulb from the nearby store. Because ordinary Korean neighborhood marts don't carry stuff like iodine or cotton (One can only get them from the pharmacy, which was like 300 meters away from the apartment building and no way I am walking that distance in my already dying feet.) I decided that the super glue will make do for the meantime.

Her toilet bowl is not very pleasant to look at either and it scared me to step on it. I dragged my own chair to her room that I may have something to step on to reach the ceiling.

All this time, she was huddled at the foot of her bed, sobbing.

I wanted to talk to her more but my Korean is limited. She understands no English anyway. I told her to go to a clinic first thing in the morning. She said yes. Went back to my room and turned on the TV and PC.

I wrote a blog earlier to make fun of the situation. However, after posting the entry (in my multiply account), I heard her escalating wailing; I realized then that she was the same girl who's been crying all the time these past few days. I guess it's okay to cry but if you do that at around 2 in the morning, it's not acceptable anymore. In fact, a few nights ago, some of the older neighbors banged on her door and threatened to beat her up that she may have more reason to cry if she doesn't shut up.

I realized then that she did not slice her palm out of stupidity.

I dread to think that perhaps she really wanted to hurt herself. Judging from her wailing and late nights one sided conversation (Yes, I do listen on the wall.), I figured she must be having some fights with her boyfriend on the phone and that is causing her so much grief.

As I write this (which was like 1:45 am), I could hear the landlord scolding her as one of the neighbors again complained that she's making too much noise. They were saying something like if she's not moaning at nights, she's wailing her heart out. I don't know which one is more annoying. I never bothered to listen to her moans.

I hope she won't kill herself. I hope she feels better soon... Me don't want a ghost for a neighbor...