in for a fight

let’s focus on the wins today.

two homes sold for the minimum bid of $500. we came prepared to do battle but, with a single bid, it was over.

then there was Shakiya’s house. bids had been placed on it for over a week and they started climbing steadily through the morning. just 30 minutes before it was scheduled to close, a man came to her door and asked “did you know your home was in the auction?” -yes- “do you want to stay in it?” -yes- “are you bidding?” -yes- “ok”

a mixed blessing. good that he came and that conversation happened, but why only 30 minutes before the bidding closed? What if she wasn’t home? how much had he already driven up the price? bidding stagnated at $3000, then $4000, and there was less than a minute to go, but then the price went up and the time extended and after $5000, the United Community Housing Coalition pulled out of the race on Shakiya’s behalf. Thankfully, The Tricycle Collective’s new partner was there to fill the void and we carried the bidding out for another series of under-a-minute nail biters that kept extending. until, thankfully,with 3% battery life on the computer and frayed nerves, we found ourselves staring at a screen that told us it was over and we’d won.

not some guy not he sidewalk. not some other shadow who never had the nerve to even show up. Shakiya and her family. They won. Hallelujah.