Life is an Adventure

We went to Toronto yesterday to try and find some paperwork on W's sister - her birth certificate - some legal documents proving W is her brother - you see without them W can't claim his sister's body for burial.  This situation has been complicated by the fact the boyfriend died in the apartment,

The first part of our adventure started on the east side of Toronto where W met up with one of his sister's friends to pick up her purse, keys and wallet.  Then we drove downtown for a nice lunch at our favourite restaurant.  It was a bright sunny day and it all felt - ummmmmmm - fun - an adventure.
 
 Then we made our way to Northbound leather where W was able to purchase a beautiful pair of soft leather pants!!!  Something he has wanted for eons!!! AND he got them on sale - 50% off 

Then we headed off to his sister's apartment. (it is important to note that by now the sun was setting and it was getting dark and eery)   We had the keys - we knew the apartment number - so we just got on the elevator and went up to the apartment and let ourselves in.

Now we knew the boyfriend had committed suicide in the apartment - and we were forewarned it might not be a pretty sight............... and it wasn't.  I did a quick survey of the apartment.  I have never EVER seen such dirt - and poverty.  Every single room had paint peeling - off the walls - off the ceilings - paint bubbled and peeling......... awful - words just don't describe how wretched it looked and how it made me feel.   BUT I think what got to me the most was the smell.... sickly sweet.  and the stains - on the sofa - on the floor.... I shuddered but we had a job to do - find sister's papers.

We scoured the apartment from top to bottom - which wasn't too difficult - it was a pretty small apartment.  Everywhere we looked we found stuff for the boyfriend - but little if anything of importance for sister.  

I picked through papers - opened drawers and brief cases and rifled through papers - trying to find something .. anything........ but really found nothing.  NOTHING... do you understand we found nothing!  no birth certificate - no income tax returns - no bills - nothing!!  The more I looked and read - the more certain I became this was NOT sister's apartment but the boyfriend's ......... and the more that thought took hold - the more unnerved I became.  Some how it seemed ok to "break in" to her apartment - but it was something completely different when it was someone else's apartment.  She lived there - we know that - but only her body lived there - she didn't set down any roots there... didn't make it hers........ weird feeling that.

I finally turned on the computer - hoping against hope to find bank records on line... something................... but it appeared their internet service had been cut off....... there was nothing - except a couple of what I think were books he was writing.........

Reading snippets of them - I could hear his thoughts - right there on the screen in front of me... I started to (what do 
the kids say ?? ) freak out.  and yet I couldn't turn it off...

Finally I closed down the computer - W said it was time to leave...... I think I held my breath till we were out of there and safely back at our car.  W said "next stop............." as he punched in our address to the GPS and I filled up with tears.  I just wanted to come home.... safe to our lil home. I am not cut out for a life of "breaking and entering".  OR for seeing the sadness - loneliness of someone else's life.  It broke my heart.