Memoirs

I Was Robbed.

Where did that line come from and who said it first? I want to say the three stooges or some comedy team like them because I associate the statement with something funny, although this particular morning did not start out that way.

It was early on a sunshiny day in May, and I was padding through the family room on my way to the kitchen to make coffee. I slowed my steps because something did not seem right. There was too much light coming in the kitchen window for one thing. The blind was all cockeyed and then I realized the window was open. At this point I should have been wary, but I had no experience to fall back on. I saw more sunny rays streaming into the laundry room and found the back door to be setting wide open.

It's only after something happens that you realize you've been an idiot. I had some wall hooks hanging inside the back door for hats, coats, and, sadly, my purse, which no longer hung there. The door with glass at the top gave a good view of what was inside for anyone who happened to look. And, apparently, with the nice spring weather, I had forgotten to close and lock the window the evening before.

I punched in the number to the sheriff's office, and as I made coffee, I thought about how lucky I was not to have interrupted the burglar. My purse was the only thing missing and nothing was damaged. I thought I had about $80 in cash, but my driver's license and credit cards would take the most time and effort.

Two deputies came and they were very nice never mentioning how convenient I had made things. They said they would dust the door handles and window for prints, but pitting could be a problem so I shouldn't get my hopes up. They suspected someone off the interstate since it was close by. They seemed to be very thorough, asked and did everything I expected them to do, taking at least an hour for all their police work. The messages coming over their radios made everything seem so professional and tv-like. I offered coffee, but of course they declined and continued with their dusting and lifting.

By this time my husband and daughter were up and anxious for the deputies to be done and gone so life could get back to normal again. I began to fix breakfast and decided since it was so nice we would eat on the back porch. The officers finished up, had me sign a report, told me they would be in touch, and left through the front door, the same way they had come in.

We all got settled at the porch table with our bacon and eggs and biscuits. I lifted my coffee cup to take a sip and as my eyes tilted up over my cup, they were drawn to something whitish in the grass below the back bathroom window. It looked like trash of some sort had been dumped.

"What do you think that is?" I asked Jim and pointed.

He looked where I was pointing and then looked at me. We all ran out the door to see. It was my purse with the contents scattered in the grass, credit cards, driver's license, and all. Apparently, the robber was only interested in the $80 in cash.

About a week later, one of the deputies called to say none of the fingerprints had turned out, too much pitting in the metal. Since I was still short the $80, I didn't have the heart to tell him about finding my purse. I just thanked him for calling and for doing their best.

Needless to say, I did not continue to hang my purse in plain view, and I hung a blind over the window in the door.