“Nooo! ” was the first thing that cried out of my mother’s mouth as the back entryway swung open. The chipped wood on the door, the scattered coins, the front door wide open, and the red purse turned upside down had the entire family in shock. This would be a Thanksgiving Day the whole family would never forget. It would likewise be my first phone call to the police. Slowly the phone rang and the officer said, “911 what is your emergency? ” I answered, saying, “Help, help my house has been robbed”, much to our dismay the robbery would affect our lives forever.
Prior that day I got all set for a Thanksgiving, feast while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With the crisp air of autumn, it was appropriate to wear a gray knit sweater, jeans, and boots. The best part of fall was the parade and the gigantic feast that waited at both grandparents’ house. The same food was arranged every year: traditional turkey, stuffing, ham, and mashed potatoes. Everyone was elated to stuff their faces and make up for lost time with the family. The first meal was served at my dad’s side of the family’s house.
The relatives on my father’s side were not brought up well and it made supper uncomfortable. However, there was something different about this Thanksgiving that made us grow closer to them. One cousin Janine even made a telephone call saying she was upset that she would be missing dinner. For reasons unknown, I trusted no and needed to listen in on the phone call. I was too slow to pick up the phone because she had hung up. The day kept on progressing and it was time to make our next stop at my mother’s larger portion of the family.
After dinner was served all the children went in the living room to play bingo. This was the best Thanksgiving bingo ever on the grounds that I was winning all the cash. Laughing away, we all assisted in cleaning off the table and got ready to head back home. This was a wonderful day until we made it back home. On our way back home, my parents and I planned to go look at the Christmas lights at K-Mart. I had never been out on the Black Friday night and my energy could not be contained. Traced up the steps and tried to unlock the door, but after unlocking the bottom lock, the door would not budge.
As my worrisome mother opened the door, the disaster was slowly revealed. The street light glistened through the wide-open front door and illuminated the house. At this point, we turned the lights on and uncovered a larger mess. In the kitchen, all of the drawers that contained money were emptied onto the floor. It looked like the criminals were dumpster divers in my family’s personal belongings. My mother’s purse was completely emptied and my father’s laptop was mysteriously gone. I continued strolling around to find more things missing or misplaced.
As continued through the house, I was relieved at the fact that the dining room had nothing missing and looked completely normal. However when I entered the living room it was bare. The brand new gaming system was swept out from under the television along with all the games and movies. All that was left of my laptop was the charging cord and mouse. My favorite pink book bag that I had utilized all through elementary school was emptied so that the main thing left were schoolbooks. Not just materialistic things were stolen, along with recollections.
I scurried into my bedroom praying that no more of my belongings were gone forever. On my bed lay my jewelry box with junk jewelry left. The ring I received on my communion day along with a glass cross was gone. Then in my parents room my mother’s jewelry was scattered all over their bed. Their closet was emptied except for clothes and my mother was crying insanely. She had hidden an IPod for Christmas in the closet and it was gone along with many other gifts. The police pulled in alongside my grandparents and uncle. I pent a large portion of the night with my mother telling the police items that were stolen for a police report.
My grandparent helped my father clean the house and my uncle called to cancel credit cards. When the police got the majority of their data, they confirmed that the burglars broke in with a crowbar. The chipped wood and dark imprint on the divider left this trail of proof. Following a restless night, my father received a phone call from his mother. My grandma told my dad that Janine, her brother, and boyfriend broke into our house.
The phone call that was made at Thanksgiving dinner was to find out if we were still out of our house. We called the police to confirm that we found a suspect, but nothing was finished. We required more evidence and my cousins were not willing to own up and admit their faults. As time moved on no more evidence was ever captured. My family had robbed us blind and was getting away with it. We no longer eat Thanksgiving with them and we likewise look for them constantly. The house is triple checked for every bolted entryway. This horrific occasion made my family grounded and more mindful of staying safe.
