We'll Leave the Light On For Ya!

Since October is the month of scarriness and horror, I thought I'd share a scarry story, which may or may not be true, depending on whether or not it makes me look like an idiot. Obviously, if I look like an idiot, I made the whoe thing up. Because if there's one thing I'm not, it's an idiot. Ah-hem.

Once upon a time...Hubby used to work some crazy, third-shift-type hours for a local dairy business. (Yes, my children were fathered by "The Milkman".) These crazy hours meant that he usually went to bed at the same time the kiddos did. I declared (to myself) that Friday nights would be My Night. I didn't go out and party, because I am not a party girl was too tired for that stuff. Oh no. On My Night, I indulged in my guilty pleasure of watching "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest". (I might or might not have also indulged in ice cream, cookies, chips and/or popcorn. But, I digress.)

One other important side note: I had recently read in a magazine that a good safety precaution was to leave your porch light on if you were home alone. This was to discourage a bad person from coming to your house because they would think you were expecting company. It made sense to me, so I started leaving my porch light on.

So, on this particular Friday night, everyone was in bed, my porch light was on (third night in a row. It was working!), I had settled down to watch "Dallas", and was pondering what snack I should indulge in.

I heard a knock on the door.

What in the world? Who is knocking on my door? And, why?

It's pitch dark outside--except for my porch light.

I go to the door, and open it.  Oh yes. I did.  I was curious, OK? I know, I know, curiosity killed the cat.

There stood a black girl, in her 20's. She looked scarred. "I'm running away from my boyfriend. He's trying to beat me up. Can I come in?"

(Remember, this may or may not have happened...something something....I'm an idiot.)

"Yeah, come on in", I may or may not have said, closing the door, AND LOCKING IT, AND TURNING OFF THE LIGHT.  Hey, I did not want some big ol' mean boyfriend stopping by!

She came in and sat down on my couch.  "Are you here alone?"

"No. No, I'm not. My husband and three babies are upstairs sleeping."

"Will your husband drive me to the police station?"

"I'm sure he will. I'll go get him."  I leave her sitting on the couch. She seems nervous, but then, she just had a harrowing experience with that bad boyfriend.

Hubby is in a deep, deep sleep. "Hubby! Wake up! There's a black girl in our living room. Her boyfriend tried to beat her up. Can you take her to the police station?"

"Heck. no. As soon as I'm in the car with her, she'll cry 'rape'.

"So. You won't take her to the police station? I said you would."

"No." And, with that he was back to sleep. Or, maybe I should say, still asleep.

I was pretty sure nothing I said registered in his brain. He didn't seem a bit concerned that there was a stranger in our house. This was very uncharacteristic of him.

I went back downstairs and said, "Sorry, he won't take you." She sat there for a few minutes, then said she had to go.

I heard a voice say, "Are you sure?"

And, with that, she was out the door, which I promptly locked, and kept the porch light off!

After that episode, I felt a little freaked out watching TV all alone, so I went upstairs to bed.

But, first, I checked on the kiddos. I thought I heard some voices outside, and saw some flickering lights.

I walked over to the window, and the block was swarming with police. "I hope they find that nasty boyfriend", I thought as I curled up next to Hubby, who was snoring loudly.

The next morning, I was talking with my neighbor about the excitement.

"Some girl escaped from jail..."    cough, cough.....excuse me??    ..."She was over at the neighbor's asking for drugs, he told her to 'beat it'!   ex-cuse me??  SHE?   SHE??   Not, HE??

"She was at--IN--my house!! Said her boyfriend was after her..." My voice trails off.  Maybe I've said too much already.  I didn't dare ask WHY she was in jail.

So, don't believe everything you read in a magazine. Leaving the porch light on will not keep the bad people away!

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