It was so frightening;
I had no idea who it was. Nervously, I crept into the living room. I peeked out
the window and saw two police officers standing outside. My heart raced.
I opened the
door and greeted the two officers. A female officer asked to come inside and
look around. Apparently, someone had broken into my next-door neighbor’s house
and after my neighbor approached them, they left and ran towards my house.
The fear I
felt in that moment was unlike anything I’d experienced before. My hands shook
as I unlocked the door to my backyard. The officers looked in the shed and
combed through the bushes. Nothing.
They told me
the intruder broke through the glass on my neighbor’s back door. He walked into
their living room and sat down in their recliner. The elderly woman who lives
next door to me asked him what he was doing in her home. He didn’t answer. As
she began to call the police, the intruder left her house.
She was
okay. He didn’t steal anything. He didn’t even say a word. But the fact that someone
came into her home, while she was sleeping, was enough to make me regret buying
the doll house.
In my four
years of living alone, I have never felt more vulnerable. I realized that he
could have easily broken through the glass on my backdoor.
What would’ve
I done?
How would I defend
myself?
I was
terrified.
Later, I
found out that the incident was a misunderstanding. The intruder was
intoxicated and had mistaken the house for his brother’s place. He was looking
for a place to sleep and when the doors were locked, he broke in. He offered to
pay for the broken window and apologized for the trouble he caused.
Although I’m
relieved to hear of the outcome, I’m still scared at night. Every time someone
knocks at my door, my heart skips a beat. For days after the incident (before I
knew about the misunderstanding) I was scared to take a bath. I was scared to
go to sleep. I kept a knife in my end table. I was obsessive about checking the
locks (I still am).
After two sleepless
nights, I decided that I needed an alarm system.
I called several places and eventually found a company that worked with my budget.
However, I’m
still a little jittery.
Last night
someone pulled into my driveway. They got out of their car and walked around
the side of my house. I could hear two men talking. About the time I was
dialing the police, they left.
I’m starting
to feel ridiculous.
I jump out
of my skin every time I hear a strange noise or the doorbell rings.
This fear is
so new to me; it’s something I struggle with every day.
Before buying the house, I knew my independence would be tested.
I love my house and I don’t regret buying it one bit, I just hope
this test ends soon!
