I AM LUCKY! I foiled someone's attempt to break into our apartment this morning while both my children and myself were at home. What is happening, Houston? What's with all this crime? We work hard to be able to live in one of the nicest (read: safest) parts of town...what's up?
For those of you who want to know, this is how it went down:
Ares left this morning to visit clients. As usual, after he left, I locked the door: lock, bolt, pass-thru chain, etc. I was in the kitchen on the phone when I heard the lock come undone. I thought Ares was back, so I started walking towards the door. I got another call, it was Ares. Thinking he was calling from outside our door (since he couldn't come in), I took a look through the peep hole... but I saw no one. Thinking he stepped away from the door to get better phone reception, I opened the locks, leaving only the pas-thru chain. I took a look outside... but no one was there. I picked up his call. He was still with his client... AT THEIR OFFICE! I called the apartment's management office and not a single one of their maintenance people had signed out our key out today. My blood ran cold...
The strangest thing about this incident was that, JUST LAST NIGHT, Ares and I were talking about how he was robbed twice before while living in other apartments. It left him deeply shaken. Years later, it still bothers him. This is the reason why we have additional locks on all our windows, on our sliding glass door and on our front door. Not just one, but many. We are having a monitored alarm system installed this afternoon.
This just underlines my need to forgo my fear of guns and follow Ares' lead to get one. I absolutely HATE - wait, no, I LOATHE- having a gun around. Growing up, my dad carried a .38 caliber -a 'Saturday Night Special'- which he still has today. Back then, I couldn't even stand to see its handle as it peeked out from under the waist of his pants. Just knowing that we had a weapon in the house whose sole purpose was to hurt or kill always hit me to the core. I could NEVER, purposefully, hurt anyone- EVER.
Today, this belief was badly shaken as I stood at the door, in angst, with Eros at my feet. I now WANT a gun. I want to be prepared should ahything like this ever happen again... I will be waiting... smiling... pointing the gun at the asshole who thinks- even once- that he can intrude upon my family and get away with it. Today, I learned that I cannot -ever- afford the luxury to hesitate -not for an instant- to plug someone with a bullet should they even attempt to get near my children. Perhaps next time, I won't be the lucky one that didn't get robbed. The lucky one will be the asshole who survived his attempted roberry.
My children are my life... they are the reson for my existence. I adore them... I kiss them constantly... can't hug them tight enough... love to laugh with them... and cannot believe just how blessed I am to be in their presence. They are my strength, the reason why my days have meaning. To both of you -Eros and Harmonia- I say:
