Then There Were Two

Another review popped up on Yelp.

I didn’t personally know the first reviewer — at least I don’t think so. I’ve probably seen her around, but I don’t know the name of everyone I pass and greet. But I immediately recognized the second reviewer to be my across the quad upstairs neighbor Quiet Old Guy — Church Lady’s “friend”.

Whereas the first reviewer gave management a two star negative, Quiet Old Guy gave management a five star positive.

“I have lived at this location for 2 years. We have the best management and maintanance team. The team don't work for us, they work with us. Some residents think they live in a rent to own location and complain when they can't have their way. We should thank God for an affordable location and a caring staff”.

My immediate reaction was bless his heart, then I laughed out loud.

Fact checking through the blog, I find Nosey — downstairs corner unit across the quad, informed me a resident had moved into the vacant unit just before the 18th of October 2018 and described him as “a Black man and doesn’t walk so good”. So, not quite two years.

Though he still drives, he does appear to have medical issues, is very slow moving, depends on a cane.

He comes across as quite a nice old school gentleman — stiff, formal, respectful of women, respectful of authority, and it’s quite obvious from his physicality/his aura that he’s not had an easy time in life. So, I understand the five-star rating.

QOG has never shared with me where he was living before, but others have: Shadow came from a rundown property where there was drug dealing, assaults, burglaries. The 33-years married couple, that had a domestic violence issue last year, came from a community where there was unchecked reverse racism — residents called them names and were mean to them because they’re white. Then there was Christian Writer, who’d complained of being treated badly by neighbors in her previous community. And, on two other occasions, new residents stopped me as I was walking, introduced themselves and said how happy they felt to get a unit in this complex after having been on the wait list for a great while. So, to residents having experienced worse, here is nirvana.

So, I understand QOG’s five-star rating. He now has a safe, clean place to live, nice friendly kind neighbors, even has a lady friend — probably the best he’s had in a long time.

However, “best management and maintanance team … they work with us”?? That’s a stretch. But, we see through our perceived notions, expectations and past experiences.