On many occasions I have stated my hatred for my neighbor Bill.
He was a mean old bastard.
Always complaining about cats, kids, dogs, rats, trash, noise, cars. You name it, Bill complained about.
Bill passed away this afternoon around 3 o'clock or so.
He suffered massive cardiac arrest.
His younger brother Russ who has taken care of Bill for the last 20 some odd years is beside himself. Has no idea what to do or how to do anything. All he has known is taking care of his brother.
He's never lived on his own without his brother. Never had a girlfriend or friends. Just Bill.
I feel horribly sorry for Russ.
My boys said I'm going to hell because just last week after Bill made some nasty crotchety remark to me again about all the "damn cars going up and down the street at all hours", I came in the house and said when the hell is that nasty old man gonna die.
Am I sorry I said it? No.
Am I sorry that he's dead? Not really. Every neighbor on this street hated that man for one reason or another.
I am sorry for Russ who has known no other life and doesn't know what to do now.
He's up at the hospital with the rest of his family who hated Bill too.
Making funeral plans I suppose.
He asked me to call the landman and let him know what was going on because he just couldn't make anymore calls right now and he really doesn't know what he's going to do about the apartment as he can't afford it on his own. Bill got SSI and Russ worked so together they could afford the house and bills and food.
On his own, he doesn't know.
So I made the call and told him all the above and he said to tell Russ not to worry about it right now.
So anyway, that's what I've been doing.
Feeling sad but not for the reasons my kids think I should.

Comments
Poor Russ. Seems like he will suffer the most. From what you wrote about Bill, he never took care of himself physically.
Posted by: Kate | March 7, 2005 5:21 PM
No he didn't. 3 nights a week there was a pizza hut delivery guy in the driveway and all the twinkies and moon pies and candy and he was a diabetic with a bad heart and he knew he shouldn't eat that stuff but he did it anyway when Russ was at work.
I feel horribly sad for Russ but at the same time, I have hope that now that his brother is gone, he might be able to have some sort of life. He's in his 40's and never known anything but his brother.
Posted by: kat | March 7, 2005 5:27 PM
Am I a bad person?
Posted by: kat | March 7, 2005 5:27 PM
No, Kat, you are NOT a bad person! Bill croaked because, as you said, he didn't take care of himself.
Mike's father had several atrokes. The man drank too much and did not eat properly. His wife (Mike's stepmom) was a nurse, yet her advice was not taken. He finally suffered a massive stroke and died.
Mike hated his father for many reasons, one being that he left his family to marry some other woman and made a new family...without paying any support to the first family. He was also a nasty, abusive fucker when he WAS around!
Mike didn't want to take time off work, or spend the money to go out to Ohio for the funeral, because he said he hated the man and was glad that he was dead.
I didn't think he was a bad person for feeling this way about his own father, and I don't feel that way about you now.
Bill, like Mike's father, died from not taking care of himself. It was no one's fault but his own.
I'm sorry for Russ, though. I hope he can find his way to his own life...he's too young to live like he has all of those years.
Posted by: Christine | March 7, 2005 6:13 PM
Thanks. I was feeling pretty bad especially after Mark started crying. First person he's ever known to die.
I just can't feel bad for someone who intentionally kept eating all the foods he knew he shouldn't and he was a prick.
After threatening to kill every animal that came in the yard with poison, I just started hating him more and more each time he said anything to me at all.
Posted by: kat | March 7, 2005 6:42 PM
You're sooo not a bad person but I do hope I never piss you off that bad!! ;-)
Posted by: JustAgirl | March 7, 2005 8:01 PM
LOL! I never meant that he shoud die, it just happened. Coincidence. It sucks. I still feel bad but not horrible.
Posted by: kat | March 7, 2005 8:11 PM
Oh my...so the old man actually kicked the bucket, eh? I remember you writing about him a few times on your blog. I suppose it is a bit sad. I would sorry for the brother more so that Mr Bill. LOL! Well, at least he won't be terrorizing the neighborhood any longer. Have a great evening...mailing out your bag tomorrow. I got behind today. Hugs!
Posted by: Lani | March 7, 2005 9:39 PM
Don't blame yourself Kat, I did the same thing right before Thanksgiving, some guy I dated over a year ago at that time called and said some nasty things to me on the phone. Well I was mean and told him f* off and die. I didn't mean it literally well he committed suicide two weeks later and I blamed myself for weeks. Well sometimes its just that person's time to go and I had to convinced myself that. Sometimes the one person we dislike the most does leave but in the end we will miss them. Honestly don't feel bad, just think he is better off where he is at. I know that sounds mean but who really knows. Take it easy girlie!!
Posted by: Christie | March 7, 2005 9:41 PM
What a sad life he must have led. My ex used to work in a funeral home. At one of the funerals he did one person showed up. One. One thing the Bill's in life teach us is how NOT to live.
Posted by: Barbara | March 7, 2005 11:36 PM
I'm sorry for Russ' loss too, and I hope he'll be able to get through this. I don't think you're going to hell for saying that. He obviously was ornery and ready to go - so hopefully now he can rest in peace and see the error of his ways, being so rude to people. I'm sure Russ appreciates your support.
Posted by: Karen | March 8, 2005 6:51 AM
Thanks Karen. I feel better this morning after giving it a lot of thought. He was a mean motherfucker who bitched at me all the time about everything. I had every right to hate that man and I'm still not sorry he's dead nor am I feeling guilty for saying I hoped he died. I feel bad for Russ but that's as far as my sympathy goes.
Posted by: kat | March 8, 2005 8:51 AM
One? Oh my god thats' awful.
Posted by: kat | March 8, 2005 9:02 AM
I mailed out your necklace yesterday. You should have it by friday. I hope that his brother can have some sort of life now. Get out there, find a woman, get married, live.
Posted by: kat | March 8, 2005 9:08 AM