The evening, dark. The threat of rain imminent. The quiet welcomed as it helped me ease into the evening. It was a continuation of Sabbatical Sunday since I was firmly ensconced at home, so choir practice wasn't in the plan of sabbatical. A book and a cup of hot tea beckoned me to the couch when my sabbatical and silence interrupted by an alert on my iPhone. No details yet but there has been reported a large police presence about four miles away at a major intersection nearby...what! No details? As one tends to do, I began Googling and keeping a close tab on Twitter for those waiting developments to the story. Nothing! In the search for information I came across our community watch group page and found out much to my surprise our little community store where we get our gas station pizza had been robbed on October 17 and the thief fled on foot toward a major road nearby. OK, this bit of news did nothing but flame the fires of fear. Yet no updates on the major police presence. At this point I am so thankful that I didn't go to choir practice because this po po presence was happening nearby. So I did what we should all do in times of fear, I prayed for the po po and for our community but especially for all who happened to be at church. Since I am wont to imagine situations that will never happen, here's an example, Peggy and I always joked that we would like to follow news stories and be present when the reporter begins interviewing those in the crowd. We would have our hair in rollers or a hairnet, wear old housecoats and apply makeup to be totally bizarre because we all know those are the people that get interviewed for those stories of a neighbor gone bad. So to occupy myself because clearly I haven't prayed enough or believed enough, I rehearse the scenario of being interviewed and I will be complete with dirty hair, very little makeup yet wearing my Baylor sweatshirt, cause you gots to fling your green and gold, when telling the story of skipping church and choir practice...but all this imagining going on and I have no clue why there is a police presence, a large police presence, in our community. Then another alert; the police are chasing three, then it became five and now the number is four, suspects in a red minivan...I kid you not...a minivan. They believed these suspects had robbed the Jared Gallery of Jewelry in Asheville earlier that evening. Being reported too was the news they did not think the suspects were from the area. I deduce they came up with that because you have to know these back roads to be effective. Too many end abruptly and right into a road or driveway that says private property or no turn arounds. The fate of the suspects could be more dismal than capture by the po po and the excuse of I was just looking for the home of an aunt that I visited in childhood wouldn't fit the situation of being chased in the dark of night...which means 6:00 pm off of daylight savings time. The red minivan disabled by stop sticks, I don't know what those are but they probably related to road spikes used in all the chase scenarios in Houston, Anyway, the suspects fled on foot and they were able to apprehend one of them and still searching the area for the others. Oh my goodness! Now every noise in the house becomes suspicious noise so I begin closing window treatments, drapes, and wishing I now had some on the bay window. To occupy my sense of fear, several conversations on the phone should do the trick. Nope, still suspects on the loose and I am making plans to have spotlights installed for our front yard and driveway. Nothing says I am trying to act normal than to move furniture. Because it is now in the cooler temps we rarely use our door off the back deck. What better way to open up a room but to move a huge chair to be partially in front of that back door as the second backup because the rug inhibits the door being opened very wide or wide enough for a suspected jewelry thief to get into the house. News comes in that two more have been apprehended with one still on the loose. I must confess the likelihood of a suspect making it this far is nearly impossible. Since we are told they are not from the area, all these hills and mountains, wooded forests that contain a bear or two, pastures with electric fences, and maybe Bubba and Bubba Jr practicing night time hunting by shooting cans off a rock make it so unlikely that anyone of these suspects could make it this far. I am comforted by that fact but still the thought remains when they report not from the area does that mean they are from Waynesville or Burnsville or Weaverville or any of the other villes located nearby? Reluctantly, I head upstairs after moving the chair and for good measure moving a desk, but it went against a wall so it doesn't count as fortification. I moved it more for room as I am one of the host homes for dinner for our women's ministry progressive Christmas dinner and I am trying to determine how many can fit here comfortably.
This morning the good news is that they have apprehended three of the suspects, they are from Detroit, so no mad mountain man skills to traverse hill and dale and they think the fourth suspect is long gone from our area. How do they know that? It is a rainy and overcast morning so traversing hill and dale would be even more difficult. So Buddy and I have enjoyed this morning easing into the day, don't have any plans and don't have to be away from the house. I have plenty to occupy me but first thing is finishing up that third cup of coffee and letting Buddy nap a little longer on my lap. In the morning light I like where the chair is located and moving the desk has opened up the room. although my view isn't as inspiring while sitting here but all I have to do is turn around.
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