Living in Utopia By Sockmonkey Dave
Forward:
Now and then my travels take me past the Utopia apartment building.
I pull to the curb and look up at the window that is apt. 13.
More often than not my eyes get misty.
The 3 years I lived there were some of the best in my life.
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But before I tell of the characters and the events, I must tell about the Utopia.
The Utopia is 3 stories tall, with little efficiency apartments.
It was built in the early 1900's, when ice was delivered by horse and wagon.
It had a dumb waiter system to transport the blocks to the proper floor.
Each apartment had a little door where the ice man would put your ice.
The living room/bed room was at best 14x14.
The kitchen was supper small, impossible for two people to work at the same time
The bathroom was small also, a claw foot tub, small sink and toilet.
Next to the bathroom, was a little alcove with a built in chest of drawers.
Then there was a huge walk in closet, you could sleep two in there.
I think the couch, a floor lamp and a small end table may have been left behind.
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The place had a thread bare feel to it, the owner was not that big into maintenance.
But if you wanted to paint the walls or replace the carpet, you could.
And he would knock a month or two off the rent.
In most of the units the couch was a fold out bed, the kind you use for guest.
( the kind of guest that gets the message... this is only temporary )
You have a metal bar under your back, your butt and your feet, and no sleep.
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But I hit the mother lode and found what the walkin closet was really for.
Oppsite of the bathroom door was a normal door to enter the walkin.
But on the living room side there was a big door, double sized.
Herbie, the flamboient manager was showing me the unit.
In a whisper, he said "this is one of the last units to have one of these.
He opened the big door, and with one hand, swung out a "Murphy bed"
A full size bed, with a real mattress, that hides in the closet.
I paid my deposit, he gave me the key, and I started a new life, far from home.
And just like that... I was living in Utopia.
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What to write next... Buckey the hoarder, and peeping tom.
Or Herbie the flamboyant manager.
Or the old lady on the first floor who would cook bacon at 11 PM and fall asleep.
There was not a night that a smoke detector was not going off, and I was a light sleeper.
The first time this happened, I lay in bed, and considered the options.
There was a fire escape at the end of the hall, it was 100 years old.
I pulled my clothes on, and picked up a fire bottle on the way down.
It was Mildred, who was half deaf, her TV was up so loud,
that I doubt she even knew that the smoke detector was going off.
I banged on the door, but no response, and the smoke detector was in full steam.
I tried the knob, and the door was open, the smoke rolled out of the room.
I went in and turned off the hot plate, with the crispy bacon, burned black.
Pulled the battery out of the smoke detector, and all was quite.
Got the smoke cleared out, and by this time the little girl from number 13 was there with me
She had made a plate of finger sandwitches, and sat with the old girl, and we ate.
Later that night when we were back in bed, the little girl from number 13 kissed me.
She said I was real nice to Mildred, well yes, after I learned the place was not on fire.
I kept the fire bottle, by the door, and when I smelled burning, I was on patrol.
