Neighbours 2

We had some very interesting neighbours. Our next door neighbours were ladies of dubious reputation. They had several children, whom they beat up regularly. From our house we could hear the children crying, screaming, pleading as they were chased around the house with a cane, or whatever were used. My mother, who did not have a rosy childhood herself tried to do what she could. She had no training in social work or psychology, so her efforts were unplanned and sporadic, with some interesting results. First of all, she tried to save the eldest neighbour boy. He was a cross-dresser and had worked in a massage parlour. My mom tried to keep him away from prostitution by hiring him to wash our laundry. I think he hated the job, because he never smiled when he did the washing. He swore a lot. In the end, my mom fired him because clothes started to go missing and one time he was caught with clothes hidden under his shirt.