Unseen

Three Word Wednesday

Addicted, adjective: physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects, enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity.Defiant, adjective: showing defiance.Filth, noun: disgusting dirt, obscene and offensive language or printed material, corrupt behavior; decadence, used as a term of abuse for a person or people one greatly despises.

 Unseen 

The room was not the same as it was a month ago.  The apartment manager had all the windows and doors open.  The walls and the surfaces on the furniture and countertops had a black film over them.  The apartment had a full blown growth of mold spores.  The bathroom had a leak in the wall and that is where it started.  The drywall broke free and fell to the ground .  The moisture and the mold was airborn.  The heat was turned up to 90 degrees, and it was optimal for how fast the mold took over the apartment.  

The cleaners were scheduled.  The mold gave the apartment the look of filth, but the occupant was the furthest from someone who did not care about his environment.  If you saw beyond the black that covered everything, you would notice that everything was in its place.  The pillows correctly fluffed on the couch.  The mail in a single stack.  No dirty dishes in the sink.  Towels neatly folded in the cabinet.  Dirty clothes in a basket, not thrown on the floor.  Nothing out of order.  Even the cell phone was still charging.  Everything was correctly placed, now covered in black mold. 

The body had been removed by the coroner.  The place it had occupied was not black.  The crime scene photos were also removed by the investigators.  The report  read that he had returned to addiction and it was an overdose.  His neighbors just thought he was out when they knocked and no one answered the door for a month.  They thought perhaps they just missed him and would see him later.   

It was hard to watch the family.  They disputed the report.  The sister was the one most defiant to the words on the paper.  She did not shed a tear.  She was so angry.  “This did not happen. This is wrong.  He was sober, he was clean. This was murder. Find the killers.” The ex-wife too, was clearly shaken.  Her words were delirious, “We were making plans, we were getting back together.”  The father looked around and told everyone to get out.  He did not think anyone should look upon this horrific place and the more horrific spot that did not have any mold on it.  I know it was better they saw it together instead of individually.  If they had come one by one, the sister would have punched everyone and the ex-wife would have been tranquilized, and the father would have bulldozed the place.     

I just held the keys that unlocked the door so the family could gather his belongings.  I was silent. 

I knew him too.