It is Monday morning and that means I am checking my vacant properties to make sure they are clean and ready to show. As I approach the front door to an 11th floor condo on the beach, I hear strange sounds coming from inside. They sound similar to rustling papers and grunting.
I hear police sirens in the distance. I turn around and look down toward the highway from the exterior walkway. I can see the flashing lights of the police cars racing in this direction. Maybe the neighbors already called the police? Somebody must be in the condo. The police cars get closer and closer.
Although it would not be the first time I have found uninvited guests in a property, I start to think I am just being paranoid and jumping to conclusions. I half laugh to myself and decide I must be hearing things. I start walking back to the door and the police cars race into the parking lot and swarm the building. Maybe I am not so paranoid. There must be something going on with my condo. I decide to go downstairs and escort them up. As I come out of the elevator, they run right past me and out to the beach.
Now I hear people yelling and they are running in all directions but I can’t see what’s going on. The best view would be from upstairs. Now that I know the police are not there for me, I decide to see what is going on from the lanai on the 11th floor.
I race back upstairs and scream as I swing open the door. There are wings flapping with dust clouds and feathers flying everywhere. The birds are as scared as I am and fly out the open door that the last agent to show the property had forgotten to close. One pigeon was confused for a bit but eventually found his way out. After my heartbeat returns to normal and I compose myself, I survey the mess.
This lovely condo, professionally staged with rented furniture, is now covered in pigeon droppings and nesting debris. You can bet the agent who left that door open will be hearing from me. I have a long morning ahead cleaning up this mess. But first, I need to look out from the lanai to see what is going on downstairs.
There are two police officers chasing a shirtless man on the beach. They are large officers weighed down by heavy utility belts in the sand on a very hot summer day. They were making progress and just when I thought they were about to grab the guy, he ran into the ocean. And there he stayed.
What a sight to see two police officers pacing at ocean’s edge watching a guy treading water. The guy keeps taunting them, swearing and yelling, “come and get me” over and over. Eventually, several more officers show up, one in swim shorts, and the guy decides to give up.
I get started cleaning up the mess but am grateful for the morning entertainment from my bird’s eye view.
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