How the Front Window Got Broken

By

J.P. Nix

        I can imagine what you thought when you read the title: “A broken Window?  I guess JP really does live at 171 Mishap Place. “

 Well now before you jump to conclusions, or start heading off down the wrong path.  Let me tell you the truth about what happen then you can decide for yourself if it was really a mishap, or purely coincidental as my wife has said to me more than once, “It’s just you John Paul.  It’s just you.”  Or maybe it’s just life.  You know sometimes things just happen for no particular reason.

There had been a string of robberies in the neighborhood, home invasions, and some times just plain weird happenings  A few of the residents decided to have a meeting to determine what  our community could do about the strange and sometimes criminal things happening in and around our tiny part of the world.

“We have got to do something!” a shout came from the back of the room.

“Yes!” came from the middle section.  “I’m scared to even let my kids get outside to play.”

Groans echoed up and down throughout the room.

“We need to establish a neighborhood watch program,” I suggested.  “Each day someone to keep eyes and ears opened to what’s going on in the neighborhood.”

“We should ask the Police to do frequent rides throughout the neighborhood,” someone in the back suggested.

“Or we could establish our own patrol,” I said, “our own neighborhood task force.”

That got me several looks from my fellow neighbors.

It was finally decided that the best of plan of action might be that we needed to keep our place in the world free from crime.

A committee was formed that night with me as chairman and four others to draw up the plans and present them at the next week’s neighborhood meeting. 

That night a terrible storm found its way to our little corner of the world with rain and high winds.  I’ve always found sleep came easiest on stormy nights, and this particular evening was no exception. 

“Honey,” Nancy shook me.   “Honey!” she shook me harder a second time.

“What is it?” I mumbled.

“Someone is trying to break in,” she said sharply.  “I hear them!”

My eyes flew open, my adrenalin glands started pumping as I got out of bed.  “Call the Police”.

Nancy picked up the phone’s receiver, but after pushing a few buttons looked at me and said, “The phone is dead.  They must have cut the lines.” 

I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911, but got an error message flashing on my phone. 

“Cell phone has an error message.”

“What are we going to do?”  Nancy asked me.

“We’ll fight to protect our home.”

I have been never one to own a gun or any other kind of arsenal, and up to now have never needed such a thing.  Now I found myself with nothing to protect my home and family but my wits which I knew wouldn’t be enough.  But it all that I had to work with.

“Stay here,” I told Nancy.  “Hide until you hear its all clear.”

“I don’t think so,” she said.  “What are you going to do?”

Dressed in nothing but boxer shorts and a tee shirt, I started my descent down the hallway.  With Nancy behind me, we inched our way slowly to the top of the stairs. 

Pop!

The sound of thunder crashing through the sky made the house seem as if were vibrating.  A streak of lightening bolted across the sky and illuminated the living room revealing a body trying to crouch beyond the sofa.

“There he is!” screamed Nancy

I jumped over the two remaining steps to land on the floor as darkness consumed the living room again.  Over to the couch, I leaped forward to land on the home invader!  I landed on him/her flat like a pancake and placed my hands around the invader’s skinning neck.  “I got you now you son of a –“ Nancy turned the lights on. 

I had hands around the top of the vacuum cleaner I had used earlier and had forgot to put away.

A tapping on the window made Nancy scream again. “They’re at the window!”

An arm was against the window, and whoever it was, was definitely trying to break in.

Adrenalin surging through my body, shrieking “Fight! Fight!” to every nerve in my body, I used the only weapon I had handy.  I picked up the vacuum cleaner and slammed it through the front window.

A broken tree branch had blown itself against the window, and the wind had kept it tapping steadily.  What we thought was a home invasion turned out to be nothing but a country storm.  What would I have done if someone had actually trying to break in?  This I don’t know and I hope I never have to find out.

                                        THE END