A Brick Wall Mess

First of all, I know it’s been forever since I’ve blogged. I apologize, especially since every newsletter says you can keep up with us that way. It’s not that I wouldn’t love it, it’s just I don’t get to the internet often. Although it’s not too far away, the heat of the building, the slowness of service, and the lack of assurance that the page I want will even open doesn’t exactly make the most enticing conditions for being more consistent. Excuses, I suppose.

Upon returning to Peru (just the country, not actually my house) I was warned of broken bricks that had been piled in our already cramped backyard. I hadn’t seen them yet or even gotten home, but I was NOT happy. One of the reasons we decided to rent this place was for a backyard where Kyliana could play safely. There are two brick walls on either side of the yard, owned by the two neighbors. Our own back fence was a flimsy tin thing weaved between rotten pots. Aside from that, it was a nice backyard. 

Anyway, I thought I prepared myself for the mess that awaited. I imagined bricks scattered everywhere, but with a little work a nice pile could be formed, leaving space again for Ky to play. 

BOY was I wrong! When we got back home, Nelton looked outside and was pretty upset. He told me if I didn’t want to be mad or stressed, I should avoid the backyard. I was doing fine at doing just that, but when someone says that, of course curiosity is peeked and it’s hard to keep it in check. I eventually cracked the back door opened and really could only burst out into laughter! It had to be a practical joke! A prank! It would go away, right? As you can see in the pictures, there already existed a pile, and it was not short nor confined to one small corner.

Thankfully, Nelton talked to the landlord, who assured us she was going to be using the bricks by the end of the month to build her wall around the yard. I was fine with that, and even happy to know that we would have an even safer place out back.

About two weeks ago a windstorm wiped out half of the pathetic fence, leaving us with a less than desirable situation. First, directly behind the house is a small stream. I didn’t want Ky being lured out by her love for water and never seeing her again. Also, this water seems to collect much of the neighbors sewage, so a stench constantly filled the air. Come to think of it, it’s amazing that little fence protected us so much from the smell, it used to only be sniffs now and again.

A few days later, I heard a lot of banging and noise coming from the backyard. We have our rabbit in a cage with a tin roof laid across and some of those broken bricks on top to keep her in. However, she is quite the escape artist and when she wants to get out, she can. It makes noise, but it’s usually controlled. I decided to go check out the situation. I was surprised and startled to find a man picking away and tearing at our broken fence, chucking things into the yard and probably salvaging parts of the fence for himself. I didn’t know what to do! I wanted to yell at him and see what was going on, but maybe he was sent there by the landlord. These things are unpredictable. I stared at him for a few moments, until he know I was there, then went inside and locked the door. I no longer felt safe in my own home.

I called Nelton to see what I should do, but didn’t get through. When he called be back, the man had left. He talked to the landlord, who decided to get to work on getting that wall put up! I was sooo excited. I wanted the back cleared up before the birth. The only way to the backyard is through the house, and I really didn’t want workers traipsing in and out when I had a new born I was settling in with.

It took a few days to even see progress as they seemed to take more breaks than really work. And it was stressful. The in and out wasn’t only by the workers, but several kids sent by the landlord to bring drinks and snacks to the men. Of course, they sat in my kitchen door and watched the progress as long as they could. And then the front door is always open, so it’s more stressful for Ky. She LOVES being outside, but she has to be watched. She wanders down the road to the plaza, which is on a busy street. Or she’ll pop into a neighbors house, trying to catch their cat. Too many things. She gets stressed and upset when the door is wide open and she can’t leave. I get the same way trying to keep her in or even watch her while she’s out.

Anyway, after the first couple days, I noticed a truckload of new bricks being deposited into the landlords house upstairs. I begin to grow suspicious that she wasn’t exactly undertaking a remodeling project up there. So I began to periodically peek outside to see just how they planned on using this pile of broken brick, something I was curious to witness anyway. The new bricks started being laid, I wondered if they didn’t just need a foundation, really hoped. But unfortunately, the days have passed and the horrific pile still lies there. Only it seems much bigger now and that huge wall makes the backyard look smaller and more closed in. It’s a beautiful wall, but a tragic backyard.

Nelton asked the landlord about the bricks. She said they would not be using them for the wall. But she still wants them because she wants to use them to lay a ground outback instead of having mud. However, she doesn’t have money now to do it, so the piles will lie there. It is very upsetting and even more stressful. Frankly, hanging laundry out to dry isn’t the easiest thing as you have to climb a broken brick mountain to get to half of the line, a mountain that voluntarily crumbles and falls beneath you and unpredictable moments.

This may be just the thing that pushes us to move.... again. Nelton told me last night he was going to start looking for a new place. Oh joy?