Meeting my neighbors: A horror story

        I like to consider myself a friendly person. I also like to consider myself a great roommate or neighbor. I’m quiet, I don’t like to invade other peoples privacy, I’m excellent at the awkward small talk that takes place when your leaving your room on your way to class, I’m usually very interested and willing to get to know someone, and I always smile. So moving into Olive Schreiner (OS) was a bit of a challenge for me. Everyone keeps their doors shut at all times, eye contact is not a thing, and it took me 3 and a half weeks to meet my neighbors, and we didn't exactly meet under the best circumstances.

On August 6, at 8:30 pm I was doing some homework in my room quietly when I heard some pretty weird noises coming from the other side of the wall. I listened to the noise for about 10 seconds and realized it was the sound that someone makes when they are trying to breath but can’t. My neighbors gasps grew louder and before I could even make it to the door to go check on her I heard my girls across the hall loudly say “ARE YOU OKAY?!” 

I got out into the hallway and saw my poor sweet neighbor sitting on her bed, gasping for air and unable to speak. Now I’m no medical person, but I can tell the difference between a panic attack and an asthma attack and this was a very VERY sever asthma attack. I kinda went into this doctor mode and started directing people to do different things. I told the 2 girls across the hall to get the warden and call 10111 (South Africa’s 911), and when my other neighbor came in I told her to get the sub-warden. I was crouching on the floor holding my neighbors hands and telling her to just look and me and breath- I needed her to calm down and point to where her inhaler was (thank God it was close by and out in the open). I helped her with her inhaler and that seemed to help a bit, but she was still in such a panic that she was crying. By the time the Warden, sub-warden, a nurse, and her (my neighbors) best friend showed up I had helped her with her inhaler twice and tried to keep her as calm as possible. 

I was asked leave the room shortly after everyone showed up because an ambulance was on its way and they wanted only necessary people in the room. When the paramedics showed up her breathing was much more controlled and she was smiling. 

I have never seen an asthma attack like that before in my life. I’m not sure if I’ve ever been that scared before either. Thank goodness that she’s alright. Did I mention that I had never seen or spoken to this girl before?

So thats my story about how I met ALL of my neighbors. I find that a common theme in my life is the strange way in which I meet people, and I think its safe to say that this may take the number 1 spot.

Cheers,

A helpful American