HOME AWAY: DAY One Twenty-Nine

Day 129: Unlimited Data

Here we are, quarantining in the midst of COVID-19 season. One would have thought that 2020 would only improve following the deaths of Kobe Bryant in January and Pop Smoke in February. As much as I have been granted with blessings during this new year, each month has felt like a painful episode of a fictional series. But, before we get into the recent madness surrounding the Coronavirus, I would like to talk about life a few weeks back.

For those who do not know me personally, I tend to enjoy the thrill of living on edge. This ridiculous practice of mine usually works out fine until life gets real, and to be fair, it did! During my first few months in New York I was living without a phone number — I could only connect with people via applications like WhatsApp and Instagram but only while connected to wifi. It was tough, but I managed. I also didn’t have a bank account due to the fact that I was also waiting for my Social Security Card to arrive in the mail. If you’re unfamiliar with it, it has your Social Security Number (SSN) on it which is a nine-digit identification number used for employment and taxpaying purposes, as well as other human resources needs. A SSN is the only legitimate piece of identity I can own being that I’m not a US citizen. I filed for the card back in January. It arrived via mail in about 5 weeks. The first thing I did after I received it was head to Chase Bank — as recommended by various friends of mine. It’s arguably one of the top banks in the city, and I needed an account as soon as possible. During my application process they informed me that a utility bill was required to open a checking account, and unfortunately I did not have one. This forced me to settle for Bank of America, the next best choice. Being phoneless, I missed out on a few opportunities, meetings, and felt out of touch with everything. Finally I had a SSN and a bank account. Next up, a phone number. The games were over, it was time to get busy!

After opening my Bank of America account, I went to T-Mobile to learn more about their phone and data plans. As a Canadian I hoped that my new plan would be more beneficial than the horrendous options offered back home, however I was not prepared to learn that there were plans as low as $70.00 for unlimited talk and data. I thought to myself, “I’ll never have to worry about running out of data ever again!” This was a huge blessing to me! I registered my new phone line immediately of course. My mission was complete for the day, I felt accomplished. I successfully opened an account, applied for a credit card, and activated a reliable means of communication. The real adventure was about to begin!

Well that’s what I thought.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Sunday, March 15, 2020

I was updating my website at home. The Coronavirus pandemic had evolved drastically, forcing me to tune in to news outlets and multiple media platforms for live updates. My roommate Neil had taken it upon himself to practice social distancing where he spent his time at home locked up in his room. The impact of COVID-19 was exponential. Consequently the streets were becoming awkwardly quiet. A day later, Monday, March 16th Neil sent me a text from work asking if I could take a call in a few minutes. To be honest, I grew a bit worried as he only ever called to deliver bad news. We got on the phone and he began by apologizing and telling me that he had discussed a rent increase with the landlord. The increase would be significant and there was no room for negotiating. In addition to that, Neil mentioned how the recent pandemic had his family back in Florida very worried and there was a chance he would need to go back home. I sat there, confused and overwhelmed with the volume of information I had just consumed. 

“We’ll talk when you’re home,” I replied.

He arrived home at 6pm that evening and we got right into discussing the matter at hand. I was quite annoyed as he explained his thoughts; it was clear that his mind was made up. He let me know that he would create a post on Craigslist about his room’s availability and that the series of unfortunate events surpassed his control. He assured me that he would figure it out and would not be gone for at least a few weeks. That night I thought long about what we had discussed and ultimately about what I was going to do. I had no urge to move but it was looking like I had to consider it. The next day went by pretty smoothly. Neil continued to go to work despite the recent self-isolation suggestion. 

On Wednesday, March 18th, I woke up to the faint sounds of boxes being taped up. I checked my phone. It was roughly 8:30 a.m. Neil was probably getting a head start on his big move, I thought. I got up and started my day. I read and researched for a large portion of my morning. My afternoon was filled with Instagram Live sessions and an eventual nap after eating some leftovers from the day before. As I was preparing for my nap, I noticed Neil’s door had been shut all day without any hints of noise; I assumed he left for work. I got to my bed and as my head rested on the pillow, my phone rang from an unfamiliar number, I answered it. On the other line was our landlord. He informed me that he received my number from Neil and that Neil had left to Florida, indefinitely. I smiled in disbelief as I stared at his bedroom door from mine. There was no way he would leave without telling me, let alone forever. The landlord proceeded with a demanding tone, as if I had any clue about Neil’s whereabouts. He ended by telling me that I had until April 1st to move out. I certainly felt like a fool. As he hung up, I barged into Neil’s bedroom and noticed that everything was still in place aside from 30% of his clothing. I was confused. Had he actually left or not. The questioning stopped once I saw his set of keys on the bed. “Wow he really left,” I said to myself in utter disbelief. I rushed to the front door of the apartment to see if he left the door unlocked...it was. With my mouth wide open and hands on my hips, I looked around our untouched living room. I was shocked. This dude left me in the dust. I guess you could say this was my official welcome to New York.