Last night, Julianna and I began our stay at the in-laws’ (Juli’s parents) house for the rest of the week and weekend.
It’s my mother-in-law’s birthday and for her present, her husband took her down to Branson. We’re staying at their house so that we can help out Juli’s brother, John, who has Down’s Syndrome. It’s always fun to stay with John. It is our chance to come up with fun things to do and see that are out of the norm with our “regular” lives — kind of like a mini-vacation. On Saturday, we are all going to Oceans of Fun. I’ve never been there and I am a little excited. Our first night there, though, gave us a little more to think about than we bargained for.
It’s was shortly after John went to bed when…
FADE IN:
INT. TOWN HOUSE, LIVING ROOM — NIGHT TIM and JULIANNA are together on a couch, watching television. Few lights are on. TIM is sitting. JULIANNA is on her side with her head on TIM’S lap. The television show is a typical, syndicated crime drama. They are sleepy, thinking about nothing, when… BAM! BAM! BAM! Loud knocks sound from the front door of the town house. TIM and JULIANNA jump up and look towards the front door. BAM! BAM! BAM! STRANGE MAN
|
JULIANNA
JULIANNA jumps off the couch and squeezes between the couch and an end table to exit the living room, toward the front door.
TIM gets up and runs around the couch, passing JULIANNA and reaching the front door. BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! STRANGE MAN
TIM is at the door, peering out a window directly to the side of the door, through the blinds, trying to see who it is.
A STRANGE MAN has opened the screen door and is leaning on the front door. He is skinny, disheveled, wearing only pants — he is not wearing shoes or a shirt. His hair is long, messed up. He has a scraggly beard. TIM
TIM shouts through the front door.
JULIANNA is standing behind TIM. STRANGE MAN
TIM can’t hear the STRANGE MAN very well, but he knows something is seriously wrong. TIM unlocks the door, places his foot against it and opensit just a crack to peer out.
The STRANGE MAN tries to push the door open, but can’t. STRANGE MAN
The STRANGE MAN sounds calmer now.
TIM is still blocking the door so that it only opens a crack. JULIANNA
TIM doesn’t answer JULIANNA, but speaks to the STRANGE MAN. TIM
STRANGE MAN
TIM
TIM closes and locks the door.
FADE OUT. |
What a night. When I called 911, the officer told me that she had already received a couple of other reports of the same incident occurring at other houses. Five minutes later, a bunch of police cars were patrolling the area — one even sped through the circular driveway that passes right in front of the town homes.
Needless to say, Julianna and I were a bit freaked out (John too, as he heard everything from upstairs). We kept checking out the windows to see if we could see the man. I figured that, with the cops around, he had probably either been picked up or he had ran.
It’s a shame that I didn’t feel safe enough to let the man inside. Something about the whole situation just didn’t seem right, though. I hope that the police found him and worked everything out.
Here’s what Julianna had to say about the incident:
I am so thankful for God’s protection. But I have also been thinking about the faults of our human race. I mean, it is sad that we couldn’t just let him in if he was truly in need. We can’t trust our own humanity…it is so warped. That saddens me.
It saddens me too, and I pray that I will follow God’s urging to help people when He tells me to.
Posted by timsamoff at June 27, 2003 11:09 AM | TrackBack (1)*double yikes!*
Posted by: p.e.horner at July 1, 2003 09:14 PM