TheBanyanTree: It's been a crazy week part 1

[Bonnie Brace]

It started about two weeks ago. A knock on the door about ten o'clock at
night. My daughter coming into the bedroom where I was curled up under the
covers about to watch an episode of Law and Order.
"Mom, There's a police officer at the door and he wants to talk to you."
""What does he want?"
"I don't know. He just said he wants to talk to you."
"Ok, Tell him I will be right out."

Reluctantly I leave my warm comfortable bed, said good-bye to the cute actor
playing cop Jessie Martin, on TV's Law and Order and head out to the
livingroom.  Disheveled, in my nightgown and robe I shuffle over to the door
where my daughter is speaking to the officer and invite him in. (after all
he is here to protect and serve right?)
"Sorry to disturb you maam..." (my eyebrows go up I hate being called maam
even by a police officer and even if he is cute! it makes me feel so old)
but your neighbor upstairs was robbed and I was wondering if you had seen or
heard anything?"
"No, I haven't heard anything...and if I did I would assume it was him
anyway."
"Well, I don't want to scare you or anything but...(too late, the sec you
said the word but I got scared) all the apartments in the building have been
robbed in the past 6 months but yours...
"Ummm, too late, for that I'm already scared now.  Do you have any idea who
is breaking into the apartments? And why not mine"
"Well yes, we do but we cant say and as for why not yours most likely
because someone is usually here all the time."
" You think it's Christopher, next door don't you?" The officer looks at me
with a surprised look on his face..."I know he has had some trouble in the
past and has been trying to get his life on track."
"Well we are keeping an eye on him, yes. "
"Oh great and I just told him I was going away for a week!"
"You should get a better lock for your door. Keep your windows shut and
locked when not at home. I'll try to come around more often to check on you
and your daughter. This is my beat and I will see what I can do to help you
feel a bit safer."
"Thank you officer, That is kind of you. Good night."

Now I'm not stupid, even I know him coming around isn't going to do anything
if I'm going to get robbed I'm going to get robbed.. what to do, what to
do... I have no doubt it is ny next door neighbor. He does have a problem
and I know he is trying hard to go straight (me being an understanding
social worker) but I don't want him to mess up with my stuff!  So after a
sleepless night I come to a decision.

I'm going to confront the kid with what the police officer told me.   Now
that I have decided this I wait for the right time a day goesby and a night.
There is a knock on my door ...again!  This time it's my upstairs neighbor
(who is a certifiable kook himself) he wants to borrow my phone to call the
police because the kids next door are on the porch talking and he wants to
nip the partying in the bud before it begins after all they are doing drugs
and stuff.  So here comes the cops and guess what... NO PARTY.. NO KIDS...
Just the kook upstairs who keeps coming in and out of my apartment!!!!

But Here comes the cute police officer from last night (I did mention he was
cute right?) He is asking me if the kook from upstairs is bothering me. I
tell him yes but...before I could say anything more he says he will take
care of it. He does and then he comes back and proceeds to give me a lecture
on the kook. I can't help it, I start laughing and point to my wall.

" Officer, I'm a Social Worker I specialize in kooks, believe me, I know how
to handle him."

Things have settled down finally. I'm still determined to confront
Christopher before I leave. What's that says  keep your friends close and
your enemies even closer.  Yep, that's what I'm going to do.  Sat morning
arrives The man-baby is out back working on his truck. I pop out on the back
porch to see what he is up to and lo and behold who should come out but the
young man in question. Now is my chance. I call him over.  And in my best
motherly, good cop, concerned counselor, persona I tell him about the police
visits I have had and about the robbery. He acts surprised. (oh my
goodness!) Then I tell him they have a suspect...and they think it is him!
no even a flinch not a blink..nada.  for about 2 seconds then there is this
fake "what?"
We talk for a bit and I give him this line about well you know with your
past and all you know they are going to be looking at you." Then I go in for
the kill.
" So just to warn you IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY APARTMENT WHILE I AM GONE
YOU KNOW THEY WILL COME AFTER YOU." (gotch!  you have been warned!)  and
just because I was feeling a bit perverse I added an extra bit of scare ..oh
by the way... just a heads up you might want to make sure your clean of any
illegal substances just incase your probation officer calls you in and
requests a drug test."

Well I finally left for a week...got back...it really does get crazier...
tune in for part 2...