The house is located in a fashionable neighborhood of Montreal. Its windows have an astonishing shape and its front is adorned with cheerful designs painted on the brick. I have often wondered who could inhabit such a singular space…
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
The good news is that I now have an excuse to find out. After all, I have this recurring concept of chronicles in which I allow myself to ring the doorbell of strangers to learn the history of their residence… So I’m only doing my job by presenting myself in front of this door.
I knock once. Two times. Thrice.
I’m going back.
About ten seconds later, a “Hello!” rang out in the distance. I turn around, a shaggy, smiling blond head peeks out of the door frame.
” Hi ! My name is Rose-Aimée and I’m so curious to know what’s hiding in your house…”
Eddy doesn’t even seem to find my request strange. He just waves me in.
* * *
The ground floor, covered with posters sometimes claiming, sometimes comical, is impeccable. The accommodation is warm. It’s an odd description, but I’d say he’s lively and humble. You immediately feel at ease there.
“How long have you lived here, Eddy?”
— Since November.
– Alone ?
— No, there are eight of us in all.
– … Sorry ?
Eddy tells me that the three-level house is occupied by eight adults who share as many bedrooms and three bathrooms. Although he has just obtained his degree in arts, the majority of his roommates are still studying, in fields as varied as music, drama therapy, political science and the environment. They were born in Morocco, Bangladesh, China, Colombia, Canada too…
The person who has occupied the premises the longest moved in four years ago. She saw around thirty roommates pass by, whose ages ranged from 20 to 45…
In fact, so many people have left their mark on these walls that Eddy doesn’t know who owned just about every piece of furniture in his home.
“Even the beautiful piano?
“Even the beautiful piano.” »
I knocked on the door of a modern commune!
A ton of questions come to mind, but they pretty much all boil down to, “Ayoye, how does it work? »
Eddy points me to a slate on which are indicated all the household chores to be done and the people who are responsible for them. Organization and communication are essential to ensure the cleanliness of such a busy place!
Every other Sunday, the flatmates get together to take stock: are there any issues to settle? Projects to implement? Activities to organize?
Everyone manages their food, but on Wednesdays, two roommates cook for the rest of the gang. The dishes must be vegan (question to please everyone); however, cooking meat is allowed the rest of the time. Bills are split fairly and friends are welcome. In fact, the only rules relate to the values of the house: here, we do not tolerate oppression, racism or homophobia.
When I ask him about the challenges inherent in a communal lifestyle, Eddy can’t name a single one. On the other hand, a panoply of advantages come to mind: the support of others; group activities; the pooling of resources, such as sharing the same car, etc.
Speaking of activities, I notice a Twister game box sitting on the coffee table…
“Do you play often?
“Um, not so much,” Eddy replies, laughing. Our favorite activity is dancing in the living room. Otherwise, one of our roommates just bought a karaoke microphone, so we’ve been using it quite a bit these days! »
I hear noise on the stairs. A young woman stops between two steps for fear of disturbing us. I introduce myself.
“How funny you decided to knock on our house!” »
Adrita has been living here since September. She got her room from a queer housing group on Facebook.
All roommates are from the LGBTQIA2+ community. In fact, they were recently victims of a shocking hate crime… Someone painted “Kill black people and the gays” on the front of the building. Four times.
These dastardly sentences are now hidden by dark paint. The companions hope to cover them with a brighter work by soon hiring someone to paint a large mural.
This violence upsets me. All I can find to say is that I’m sorry.
“It was terrifying,” continues Adrita. I was afraid to go out alone for days! I wondered if the person who had done that had aimed directly at us, even if they were watching us. Eventually she wrote this in several places on the street, but I feel like our Black Lives Matter flags made us a particular target. »
Moreover, the psychological effects of this wrongdoing are still being felt. Adrita asks me if it would be possible to hide any clue that would identify her home. Obviously, I agree to preserve the anonymity of his sweet lair.
I admire the courage, the atypical way of life and the solidarity of this home. I have the impression that I couldn’t live so peacefully in a group… “We’re often told that, Eddy replies laughing. However, it really isn’t that complicated! »
Adrita adds that the magic simply happens: “What I find interesting is that we weren’t friends to begin with. All that brings us together, at the base, is a system of values: we do not want a hierarchy and we are oriented towards the resolution of conflicts. I think it’s healthy for us. »
She takes a moment to reflect and concludes: “Actually, I think we like each other a lot. »