Construction sounds from the neighbors.
They are building something, but what is it?
drilling sounds
The noises are getting worse, even with headphones on my head I still can listen to them. I should complain about them… ah, I forgot, I can't talk to people. But surely they are doing something.
My neighbor… I don't even know him. I was always told as a kid not to talk to strangers, and I guess I followed that rule pretty strictly.
That old man over there probably is my neighbor, after all he is the only one not wearing a helmet, or could he be the boss of the workers. I've heard from my parents that the neighbour is all alone, no children, no wife. Could I end up like that too?
drilling sounds again
This is too annoying. I can't stay at home like this.
prepares a letter
Neighbor, please make the noises less or work silently.
folds the letter into a paper airplane
watches the workers
This is tense. Why am I imagining them talking like: Mister Baldy, sir, you can't work without a cap on, your bald head will get damaged?
construction sounds again
Not going outside and not having proper conversations is making my brain dull.
throws the paper airplane
construction sounds begin again
Here goes!
The paper airplane glides from my house to the neighbor's yard. One worker is startled and drops to the floor.
badum!
W-what was that? I didn't hurt him, right?
watches from the window, one eye peeking
The bald worker can't be seen anymore.
falls to the ground
I didn't do it. They deserve it,they wouldn't notice otherwise that acoustic pollution is real for people who spend most of their time at home.
at the neighbour house
The neighbor grabs the letter. He opens it, sees someone is bothered by the noise, and tells the workers they're having a break. Even the bald worker seems fine just scared.
notices the work has stopped for twenty minutes
This is good. So peaceful.
my stomach can't take it anymore
Did I hurt him? That's why they aren't working…
goes to the backyard
Yeah, this place really is my peace. Beans aren't doing good lately.
looks at their leaves
Ants are all somehow attaching to their leaves, do they smell something, why this happens I did them with spray yet they still bother to get on top of them. I should probably plant something else, but what to plant I can't even buy seeds that I want. I grew beans because we had them from the bought packages for food, but I don't have any other seeds I think. Well, maybe I could just get seeds from vegetables, nah thinking better about it they probably wouldn't even germinate, they pick them unripe so the seeds are not even worth trying out. We also got peas but I don't really like planting them at all, and neither their taste.
slight breeze of wind
March is coming. Months pass slowly. It's almost a year since I finished high school.
sits on a chair
Time passes fast when you do nothing. Five months doing nothing is driving me crazy, but I'll be alright. Can't get sick or worse. I have to think about my parents.
looks down at the grass
Why am I thinking so negatively here? This is my peaceful place. Forty minutes of silence from the construction… maybe I should apologize for throwing the airplane.
watches the sky
Huh… what's that? Wood? Why are they putting wood on their house? Weird.
Meanwhile, the neighbor writes several letters with the same message and throws them into different houses.
sees a letter flying toward him
Did they find me?
takes the letter, runs inside, locks the door, heartbeat racing
opens the letter
Dear Mr. Neighbor, sorry for the noise, but we are going to build a second floor. I will try to keep the breaks longer so you have some quiet time. Sorry for that.
Hmm… quite educated, even for an old man.
But w-what? A second floor?!
checks outside at the wood again
So he's building a second floor that will see me all the time.
No!!! Now he'll see my gardening. My peaceful backyard is gone. He'll see me every time I go out or move. This is bad.
lies on the floor
So now I'll stay inside. No backyard. No spending time outside.
This is worse than the package. That was a one-time thing. I can't handle the neighbor seeing me every day. Peace isn't forever. Temporary. Only pain seems permanent. I can't do anything. Nothing in my hands to control.
Am I the weird one? Stressing all over every day for every single thing, how the neighbour felt when we built the second floor back then, did he feel like he was being watched, not that I even know the way our house got built but...
sighs
I wanna have fun, I want to have money, I want to have peace, I don't like the way life is going on around for me with only problems to throw at my lane of life, could it be cause I am weak or am I supposed to adapt to problems, what if I just don't, I don't like things that I don't, should I like things even when I don't, is it that what it means to adapt, animals adapt, humans adapt, can I even adapt to everything that is thrown into me.
lies on the other side
So many problems. Is it because I'm weak or just not ready for real life? Even stressing, nobody cares. The world doesn't care,it just spins. People don't care. Billions out there doing different things. Time doesn't care; it keeps going. Only me. Only I care about everything.
thinks about stopping the second floor
Nope. I can't do anything. Useless. I am useless. Why? They wouldn't even stop if I told them. Even if I hurt everyone, they'd be replaced by other workers.
sighs
remembers high school
This reminds me of that day when I was told to sit with her. I hated that day.