Polizi! Polizi!

One of the questions I get asked frequently by my many, many friends (Alana) is 'what's been going on in Mons?' and the answer is generally 'Oh, not much'. In fact, I didn't want to have to say this, but at times it can be a bit dull.

But tonight was terribly exciting.

At about 11:30pm, Ben glanced out the window after cleaning his teeth and said
"There's a police car outside."

I didn't take much notice as we're not situated in the best area of Mons - although most of Mons isn't the best area of Mons - but he stood there for a while and watched. After a while I too got curious and trotted over, only to be berated for getting too close to the window and make all the policemen look up. Outside was a police van with a desk in the back, and no less than eight policemen milling around. After a while another van came with blacked out windows that reversed into the driveway directly underneath us. Then all the policemen came into our building and stomped up and down the stairs, dragging heavy things with them.

We listened for a while from the comfort of the bed until I got too curious and pushed the duvet to one side.

"I'm going to grumpily open the door and peer out, just to see what's happening." I told Ben imperiously.
"Alright. You are wearing your pyjamas though, and your hair is a bit of a mess."
I got back into bed.

After a time we heard the van with the blacked out windows drive off. We got up for another look. Who should we see out there but MRS BUSYBODY; that woman has her beak in everything. She was wearing some kind of red armband, like a fire marshall would wear for people to know who to follow.

Surely we'd know if there had been a fire, we told each other incredulously.

Then another of our neighbours appeared downstairs, and he seemed to be moving the contents of his room into a car. He too had an armband on, and he seemed to be chatting amiably with the policemen who had come back out again after merrily stomping up and down the stairs all evening.

Then there was some more stomping, and now everything has gone quiet. Mrs Busybody disappeared up the road and to our notice has not returned yet. Ben (who wants me to mention how brave and handsome he was whilst sneaking out to nose) just had a quick look outside and everything is as it was before, ie a bit messy but generally normal for a common or garden apartment block stairwell, except for an empty Coca Cola can by the door that wasn't there before.

BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?