I BOUGHT AN EVICTION
Coming out of homelessness is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you’re stepping up to rejoin society, and on the other hand, you’re leaving a whole community.
I am diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. My lack of housing came immediately after having a psychotic break. After a month of hospitalization, I was unable to return to my home for safety reasons. I was brought to a homeless shelter nearly 200 miles away from what I knew.
After 20 months in the shelter Catholic Charities came through for me and I was housed. I was beyond grateful. Though I owned nothing I had finally regained my independence.
Long days of sitting and thinking about everything that had happened brought on depression and suicidal ideations. Though the shelter sucked there were ALWAYS other people around. I was never alone, which I hated until I was nothing but alone.
My past was flooding my brain. The only thing I knew to do was find something else to focus on. My podcast Dancing with Bipolar was a great venue to vent all my hatred toward everyone who had hurt me, but that wasn’t the real underlying problem.
Love or to be correct lack of love was the issue. I knew that jumping into a relationship after any form of life trauma was not a brilliant idea. I also knew that trusting people was not my strongest trait.
So what to do?
I wound up at a national chain pet store. I walked through the doors and knew I was on course to buy an eviction.
I found myself staring into what I thought was an empty cage on the floor when I saw the flash of terrified eyes.
“ WTF”, I thought. I bent down to read the tag. Domestic Guinea pig $50. “Hmmm, that’s not a pet”, I thought. Having only had cats and dogs which are easily discoverable and a sure violation of my lease.
So I went up to the front of the store and announced to the cashier that I wanted the Guinea pig.
“Ummm, ok I think”, she said. “ Hold on let me get someone for you”.
She got on the phone and whispered, “ Someone wants the pig. Is it ok?”.
Now I’m confused. Pet shops sell pets, right? What is up with this piggy,?
I go back to the cage on the floor. Again the piggy is hiding and that’s when I realized everything that was happening. His cage was filthy, with no water, and food mixed with feces and he was inside his hide staring at me staring at him.
A girl comes up to me and inquires if I’m the one wanting to buy him. Her eyes are red and puffy, obvious signs that she had been crying. I handed her the carry bag I had chosen to bring him home. She gets the bag ready and then lifts him out of the disgusting cage and kisses him.
“ You be good now”, she said to him. “ Do you know how close you were to”
“Death”, I exclaim as I snap back to attention.
She just looked at me and said, “How did you know to come today?”
“I didn’t, God did”, I answered.
She silently shakes her head yes, while biting her lip and holding him like he’s the most precious cargo in the store. I gave her time to get him set up and say her goodbyes. I assured her I would take amazing care of him.
The minute I got out of the store with him my tears started flowing. No matter what happens I know I can never let him down. My nonpuppy cat escaped death to ensure that I live.
Nearly a year later, Sir is flourishing as a free-range piggy. How he beat the pet store Green Mile has become a distant memory for both of us.
