Early on Friday morning, Nita was awakened by the loud noise of something hitting her roof. She got out of bed, looked out the window and saw two teenagers walking away. She figured they were students, 'tanked up', on their way home to nearby university residences.
But the next day she saw a brick on her roof beside some broken tiles and she thought 'Oh no!' For the miserable experience of being targeted by local teenagers might be happening again. "I felt sick when I saw that brick. I've considered moving into Seniors Residences"
Two years previously, a group of young teenagers mounted a series of dreadful attacks, led by one particularly nasty boy from a neighbouring house. They put stink bombs through her letter box, threw eggs at her door, repeatedly rang her doorbell and ran away.
"I'd injured my knee and going up and down the stairs was hard, so I got to the point I didn't bother answering the door. They were forever taunting me. I looked through the door window and there was such nastiness about it. It was threatening. It was awful. I felt under siege. When you're on your own and you've got to lock up and go to bed, and think--somebody's trying to get into your place--it's horrible.'
Once when they smashed their hydrometer with lead piping, she ran after them, but they defied her.
- Why did you do it?
- Do what?
- You broke my glass
- It wasn't us
Nita's daughter Jane, who lived nearby, contacted the local police and the insitgator, already in trouble for other offenses, was moved elsewhere.
Nita wonders if the attacks happened partly because of her age.
Some of it is just vandalism. But these kids also thought, "She's a silly old fool. She won't run after us."
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