I never realized until today that danger lurks all around me. No, I am not just being Halloweeny.
At work this morning I got a call from Mother telling me there were choppers flying up and down the creek behind our house. She called DeKalb County police and learned there was a criminal who had escaped police and they were trying to find him. The lady Mom talked to said don’t leave the house and keep the doors locked! Yikes. I called or emailed neighbors trying to warn everyone. I later learned about another criminal perhaps around our area.
I felt like Paulette Revere, “The criminals are coming! The criminals are coming!”
We are also working on a case at work that I am just learning and it involves some serious allegations of government corruption. That’s all I can say. It’s a bit like being inside a John Grisham novel. Allegations. Threats [not to me]. Wow.
As soon as I got home, I grabbed the kids and we left Mother to nap, locked up in the house of course.
The kids got new cell phones. They have never had phones before. I bought them the phones at Walmart. They have prepaid minutes on them. I told both kids they got 300 free minutes from me, but the next batch of minutes they would have to buy on their own. We had quite a discussion. The main reason for buying them phones was simply that I want them to be safe. I want to be able to reach them if necessary.
The day a few weeks ago when it flooded, I couldn’t get word to Michael that I was desperately trying to get home. I couldn’t make sure Alesia was safe. It was nerve-wracking. Today’s criminal at large just spurred me on to act.
I have said a lot of prayers for everyone’s safety. I sure hope the phones are not misused.
I told both kids not to ever let the phones get below 10 minutes. I also, as I said, told them they have to buy all minutes in the future – and if they don’t have the money I will buy the minutes and they will have to work them off. Alesia asked how.
“You will have to clean the ENTIRE house, top to bottom,” I said, smiling in a faintly sinister way, I hope…
I caught Michael trying to sneak and read the phone instructions tonight under the covers after he was put to bed. He got mad when I took them away, arguing he needed sleep.
Just before bed, Alesia was furious the phone wasn’t fully charged when she opened the package. I tried to explain about having to charge electronic devices. Didn’t help.
See why I’ve avoided this step for so long?!
BTW, Mother did a great post here on her blog. Check it out.
