A home invasion on what started as a routine day for my husband and me at our Caribbean home remains an indelible transformational experience that imparted life lessons, perspective and gratitude.
It was laundry day. Unloading the washing machine, I was aghast as I stared at two masked intruders quickly descending the stairs hurrying towards me. The scene seemed surreal, their heads were covered with makeshift balaclavas and only their eyes were visible, but they were recognisable as youths aged eighteen to twenty. The youth with a gun which resembled a shortened rifle covered with a cloth, positioned himself outside the laundry room which is enclosed by a low pony wall with a sightline to the open stairs. He appeared to be on alert, while his taller accomplice approached, menacingly holding a long knife to my neck. They repeatedly asked “Where is the money? Where is the money?” and whether anyone else was in the house. Bizarrely, I felt no fear whatsoever and put it down to being in shock, calmly stating we had very little money and explaining that my husband was at the back of the house.
Usually, on laundry day Keith and Spurs a Rottweiler, would sit on the small balcony at the back of the garage to keep me company, as I hung out the washing. Waiting for me, Spurs sensed the intruders and began tugging at his leach pulling Keith to the front of the house. Arriving in the garage, through a window with a view into the laundry room, the intruders and Keith saw each other, at which the youth with the gun immediately left. Hearing Keith telling him to calm down, I instantly became terrified Keith might be shot, imagining him being horrendously and fatally injured at such close range.
Meanwhile, my assailant continued to aggressively ask for money and was re-alerted to my dilemma. But not unlike the switching on and off a switch, my terror suddenly vanished, fleetingly surprised at this reaction. I reasserted that we had little cash and that my handbag was upstairs in the bedroom and led the way. Reaching the top of the stairs, he roughly grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, stating I was walking too fast, controlling my pace the remainder of the way.
Arriving at the entrance of the walk-in wardrobe, I pointed at my handbag which was visible hanging from a peg and was gruffly released. Retrieving it, surprisingly I did not have Keith’s wallet which I usually carry in my handbag, whilst I had a mere forty dollars. I wished I had at least a couple of thousand dollars, thinking this might have been appeasing. Still miraculously unafraid I walked back into the room to confront my precarious dilemma, but my assailant was nowhere to be seen. I quickly realised he must have fled and with extreme dexterity, through the lower of the small double windows at the side of the bed, which were closed and were now wide open.
Whilst standing dumbfounded but relieved at my assailants disappearance, Spurs ran into the room, his expression (if he could speak), beseeching whether I was all right, whilst also hearing Keith asking if I was okay. Responding that I was fine, he called Spurs, who ran off. Walking to the open window I automatically closed it and could see Spurs leaping up the bank in a chase, but after repeated assertive calls by Keith, finally returned.
Meeting at the front of the house, Keith and I hugged comforting each other, the relief immense seeing we were both unharmed. However, still feeling distraught I began sobbing at what could have been a devastating outcome. But a thought suddenly struck and immediately stopped crying, believing this was a sign of being a victim and vowed there and then that I would not live in fear going forward.
Exchanging our encounters, Keith said his immediate reaction to seeing the intruders, was whether to stand up and fight or flee to get help. Deciding on the former, he attempted to calm the gun youth whose chief concern was Spurs, repeatedly demanding for him to be put away. Utilising his obvious fear of Spurs, Keith decided not to release him and also in part, because he was unaware of what was happening to me. However, the youth recognising his demand was being disregarded became progressively aggressive, swearing and threatening what his accomplice would do to me. No doubt as further intimidation, he removed a small section of the cloth revealing what looked like a shortened rifle barrel. However, by now Keith deduced the youth was young; probably bluffing as he could easily shoot Spurs or him and was either nervous or on drugs, wondering why the rifle was covered.
Acting on a hunch regarding the covered rifle, Keith decided to take a calculating and audacious move by taking a small step forward, at which the youth fled. Keith and Spurs taking chase confronted the youth at the doorway of the home office, Keith believing he was disorientated, as the office had no exit out of the house. Quickly releasing Spurs, Keith gave him the order to attack, but Spurs’ blood-curdling growl, and attack aimed at the youth throat was hampered, slipping on the tiles. But he had managed to hit the youth in the midriff bringing him down, at which point Keith joined the assault. Punching, kicking and making as much noise as possible, remembering this as a vital recommended tactic under such circumstances. Spurs in the meanwhile ran off up the stairs (we later realised this was when he came to my aid). Keith continued the attack, but due to some of his punches being deflected with the gun still in place, whether real or makeshift, presumed it was strapped to the youth’s arm. But the youth was able to get away rapidly running up the stairs and out the front door, their entry which was closed but not locked.
My assailant, we later surmised, probably heard the noise and scuffle going on downstairs and the approach of Spurs which I didn’t hear and speedily escaped through the bedroom window.
The life lessons learned that day was the wisdom of the quote “Some people come into our life as a blessing, while others come into our life to teach us a lesson”. Equally, how much we take life’s beauty for granted, underestimating its fragility and assuming we have a tomorrow. As well as being unmindful of the value of gratitude and the recognition of the necessity for security safeguards. But above all, is the profound belief we were divinely protected on that ominous day.
What is a life lesson you learned the hard way? Share in the Comments Section.
