The death of a community

Lila had been wandering around in the woods for so long that she had lost all sense of direction. She was beginning to think she would never again find somewhere to call home. Then one day, after she had almost given up hope noticed a big house in a clearing in the woods. She went closer and peaked into the windows. Inside she recognized some of them she knew a long time ago. She hesitated, but she went around the house to find a door anyway. This could be it, she thought to herself.

Lila knocked faintly on the door and soon she was let into the warmth of the big house. The place was filled with people, some she remembered, but most of them were new to her. Slowly she started to engage in some of the conversations and games that they played in the big house. And slowly Lila was beginning to feel safe, to actually feel at home. Of course there were people there that didn’t like here and the feeling was mutual. Most of them didn’t even notice her, but a handful of them seemed to like her and that was enough. I think I’ll make this my home, Lila thought. She knew that the others loved their home as much as she did.

For a while, everything seemed perfect. There were of course the occasional fight, but afterwards, it calmed down. And the same people that were fighting last night could be best of friends the next. Then one day they heard that the house was sold. New owners were coming, but not much would change. They would just change the name of the house. People weren’t happy about this, but they adjusted and went on living their lives in the house. The next news they heard was that the house were going to be rebuilt and adjusted so it could be connected to the big trailer park behind the big house. Again the residents of the house objected, but the new owners just declared that everything would be much better. They would even give the old house a new coat of paint in a nice shiny green shade. Don’t say we don’t listen to you, they said.

The residents were getting more ill at ease about the changes. Let’s move away, someone suggested. At least we can go for a vacation. To get away from it all. Maybe the changes won’t be as bad after some rest. A few people left to build small houses in the other end of the clearing of the forest. The houses weren’t that big and not everyone dared to even have a look at them. The new owners might listen they said. Let’s try to talk to them again. We’ll tell them that we don’t like it to be rebuilt. The owners came, sat down with the residents and say, we’ll have a discussion about the changes.

We’ll always listen to you, you know that. Feeling somewhat relieved, but still pretty upset about the changes, the residents threw themselves into the discussions and most of them was totally against the idea of the house being connected to the trailer park. When they had discussed for a while, they looked around and the owners where no where to be found. They must have slipped out the house when no one was looking.

One morning when the residents woke up, the walls in the house had got a new coat of paint. And some of the doors were closed down, and others had been opened instead. Everything in the cupboards were moved. How will we be able to find anything now, the residents complained. I can’t even find the way to my own room anymore. It was clear that no one liked the changes and especially not the new colour on the walls.

Suddenly the owners turned up with a big smile on their faces. Residents, they said, we have information to you about the changes that we’re going to make around here in a few days. First we’re going to take photos of this old house. From every angle, don’t worry about it. And then we’ll have a nice little art show with the photos over at the trailer park. This part will be torn down as it’s quite old anyway, and it’s a bit far off from the rest of our property. Oh and remember, we’ll always listen to you, so if you want to keep something from this place, a cup or a curtain or something, don’t hesitate to ask. We’ll take a lot of photos of it then. Oh and we hope you like the new colour. It looks very nice with the shade of green we have over at the trailer park.

Everything that happened made Lila very upset. For the first time in ages, she had found somewhere to call home and even a handful of people that she liked. It was more than she could have hoped for and now, everything would be torn to pieces. What would she do? Would she end up all alone and homeless again? She looked around in the house that soon would be gone. It seemed pretty worn down and some of the windows were broken after some of the more heated discussions. Maybe the house itself wasn’t so important. It was the people that was. So she picked up her few belongings and went out through the door.

Out there in the woods, it had started to rain. After just a short while, Lila was all wet and started to look around for a shelter or another house. The small newly built houses in the clearing looked very welcoming, but she knew it was very hard to get accepted. Who would take her in and would she be able to find a place where she would feel safe. Three of the houses seemed big enough to be able to take more than just a few friends. First house was luxurious mansion. From inside she could hear laughter and chattering so she moved closer and tried to listen in on the conversations. She recognized some of them and could hear them talked about some of the other residents. Lila withdraw quietly, hoping that they hadn’t noticed her. Their ironic words still played again and again in her mind, reminding her of her school days and how she felt back then.

Next house was a modern villa in steel and glass. It seemed a bit sterile, but hopefully, the residents would be warmer. In there, she could see a group of men talking to each other. It seemed a lot better than the other place, but somehow it didn’t seem like somewhere she could feel at home.  The last house were a wooden villa with lots of small rooms and bays and didn’t seem to have many straight angles. It seemed cozy but not over decorated. Lila could hear nice chatter inside. She moved closer. Inside she could recognize a few from the the old house and most of them she liked. This could be my new home Lila thought so she knocked on the door and was let in. Everyone welcomed her and seemed genuinely  pleased to see her, as she was to see them.

Had Lila finally found a new home? Only time will tell, but what was clear was that her old home would cease to exist. Maybe a change will be good, Lila thought to herself.