It's hard to really sum up the effect that had on the beginning of our relationship with this house and neighbourhood. I know that I spent the first few weeks here jumping at shadows, fearing a return of the previous occupants. It wasn't just the old owners' actions at the time, it was the whole package. Everything about this place seemed unknown and terrifying. The snakes in the paddock, the wild dogs we can occasionally hear howling at night, the encroaching hills that loom over our back fence.
The touch of wild that attracted us to this position in the first place also terrified me when darkness rolled around each day.
Over the back fence, into the wild...
On about our second week, a car full of people - one of whom we recognised as being involved with the previous owners' shenanigans - pulled up out front and spent a while staring up at the house.
I called the Police, who did a drive-by that night. Nothing happened then or has happened since. We haven't seen those people again.
We live on a quiet road. When cars go by you check them out, you know what your neighbours drive and come to recognise the sounds of their different vehicles.
You become a little suspicious. Watchful of slow-moving cars you don't recognise. In retrospect, I wonder how many people were keeping a subtle, watchful eye over Dan and I as we drove slowly around this area while house hunting.
At about 10pm last night, a car very quietly drove past our place and stopped out the front with its lights dimmed. I couldn't make out much, just a couple of dimly lit faces turned our way and a small white car. Soon, they drove further down the road and turned and came back, stopping out front for another 45 seconds.
Then they drove slowly away again.
My heart just sank. Straight away, I was back three months ago when I honestly, genuinely feared for my daughter's safety even bringing her onto this property.
I went and locked the back door and the front and then heard a scuffling. A big dog from up the hill, a regular visitor to our place (he's got a thing for Pepper) appeared at the foot of the steps.
It clicked. Our carload of observers was nothing more than our neighbours looking quietly for the dog they know all too well loves hanging out at our place.
I really realised then that the old residents, the residents we've done so much work to cleanse our home and selves of, are truly gone for good.
And maybe, now, there's one less thing to fear in the dark.
I get it, I think I would feel the same way, especially given how kookoo the previous owners were. :)
ReplyDeleteits YOUR home now x
ReplyDeletePerhaps you need to organise some sort of "blessing" for YOUR new home to rid it of these scary associations and give it some more peaceful ones? You're so brave and I am full of admiration for the life you're creating:)
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea Libby. We're finally having our housewarming in a couple of weeks after the last attempt got flooded out. I'll look into a blessing ceremony.
DeleteSounds like a creepy moment you poor thing. I agree with Libby, do something to flush out the last residual bits of bad energy from the kooky old owners. We had very problematic neighbours before we sold our last house, my mother put amethysts on every window sill in the house, apparently they are useful to keep negative energy away (if you even entertain the idea of such things). I was just so keen for our house to sell quickly I didn't care what she did, and it sold in ten days. mel x
ReplyDeleteOh I'm so sorry that you had to start off on the wrong foot with the place. Hopefully it won't be long until you can laugh about it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like all your new neighbours would love you and be so grateful that the previous owners are out so they'll keep a watchful eye out for you xx
I know that feeling well, Edwina! After 15 years of city life, we retired to a few acres on a quiet dusty road where only 5 or 6 cars a day pass by, mostly our neighbours going to and from work. Any unfamiliar car driving slowly past our house (and sometimes stopping at the gate) makes me very uneasy. Just on dusk one evening I walking down the forest track and I noticed a twin cab driving ever-so-slowly along various bush tracks ahead of me. It felt creepy and I hurried home and related the scary story to my husband, describing the vehicle in great detail. He laughed .. he knows the man in the twin cab quite well, he assures me he is no serial killer, he is wheelchair-bound elderly chap who likes to go for a drive in the forest at dusk or early morning to see the kangaroos.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the former owners of your house are long gone, and you seem to have really nice neighbours who would all be watching out for strange goings on in the area.
I wonder what it is. I had cars stopping all the time out front of our house in town and it bothered me not at all. Here, it's enough to have me lifting the phone to call the police. We have great neighbours though, we are very lucky.
DeleteI felt quite scared the first few months we lived here too. The first thing you notice is there are no street lights, so when you look out your windows at night, it's pitch black! There are no traffic noises, although we could occasionally hear a train in the distance.
ReplyDeleteI remember on my second night here with our young daughter - my husband was working late, I heard something rustling outside. Then a grunting noise. I had the big sliding doors open to let in some breeze, but shut it promptly. I was so scared.
Now I've been here long enough to know what that grunting sound was - kangaroos. Specifically, male ones, either trying to court a lady or chasing off a male. But when you've never known the normal noises of the bush, it can be oh-so scary.