A random encounter
Posted by Alli on October 8, 2009
A few minutes after The Office finished airing tonight, we had a visitor at our front door. It was a woman we had never seen before and she was looking for her husband. She told us her fear of drugs, alcohol, another woman, and that she was going to find her husband dead.
Thing was, we were able to tell her her husband wasn’t dead. We were able to tell her about an hour and half earlier we saw him being driven off in a police car.
Around 8:15 we heard our front gate open. Damon went to see who it was and encountered someone who was obviously confused. It was a man who at first glance seemed to be unaware of where he was. After a few moments it was obvious he had been drinking and even though the purpose of the man’s visit was still unclear, Damon was offering to call someone for him. The man wasn’t really talking, not wanting us to call anyone but not being clear at all why he stopped at our house.
Parked on the street next to our house was a car with a few beer cans on the roof. Based on the beer cans and the drunk man in front of our house, I assumed the car was his. I was thankful Damon was asking if he could call someone because it seemed this drunk man was going to be driving somewhere.
Except, he wasn’t. The car wasn’t his. It belonged to a visitor at our neighbor’s house. The neighbor and his visitor were outside, and the visitor went to the car, took the beer cans off the roof, and got into the driver’s seat. This made the drunk man angry and he went to the car, opened the door, and started to beat up the driver. Our neighbor tried to help his friend and called 911 at the same time. D also called 911, in hope to diffuse the situation quickly.
I was holding Tebow, so I took him inside and put him in his bed. I grabbed Damon’s hiking stick (the neighbor had asked us if we had a baseball bat or something) and went back outside. I could see from the porch the neighbor’s friend was driving away and the drunk guy was making an attempt to chase our neighbor.
During all of this D remained in our front yard. All the real action was happening outside the perimeter of our fence. Then the drunk guy came back to our house. He asked if we had called the police. Damon told the guy our neighbor did and drunk guy got angry, opened our gate, and started trying to fight Damon. Damon had the hiking stick but the guy brushed it aside and slapped Damon upside the head.
I called 911 again and Damon pushed the hiking stick towards drunk guy. He decided to retreat back to the street, outside our front gate. Soon cops were speeding toward our corner. The cops took a statement from Damon, the neighbor, and the neighbor’s visitor (who came back after moving his car). Turned out the visitor had been beaten by the drunk pretty badly, he was bleeding from a cut on his face. They cuffed the man and took him to a police car where he promptly passed out.
Ever since it happened, ever since we closed our front door and the police cars drove away to continue protecting and serving, we have been just amazed at the weirdness of the event. It was so random and it could have turned out so badly. Damon kept thinking how happy he was he wasn’t going to have to fight the guy.
But even though our neighbor’s friend was injured and Damon was assaulted (which was scary to watch from the front porch), I have to think the randomness did serve some purpose. When that man’s wife came to our door asking if we had seen him, telling us she was worried she was going to find out he was dead, we were able to tell her we knew he had gone with the police. And while I wish the whole incident hadn’t happened, I’m glad she was able to stop knocking on doors and worrying he was dead.
BenSpark said,
That is so bizarre. I am glad that your family is okay. I’d be worried to open the door after such a whacko came by earlier in the day.
.-= BenSpark´s last blog ..It’s MY Birthday, Pass the Cake =-.
Joanna said,
I think that whole weird thing would totally freak me out!
Hope that the woman is okay, doesn’t sound like a great man to live with.
.-= Joanna´s last blog ..PTWOHWMTS =-.
GrandPa Fred said,
Glad you are safe. What is random to us is in the script of our story written by the author of life. Now you wait for the next chapter to unfold.
Nellie said,
So glad that you all were not injured. God was protecting you, but you know that. I am sue the woman was greatly worried. Loving someone who has a drinking problem is never easy.
I say one should never leave doors unlocked day or night.
.-= Nellie´s last blog ..VIRUS =-.
vsatt said,
When you’ve got an episode of Cops happening right outside your door, it might be time to think of moving. But on the upside, maybe you can get Steven Seagal to come up there and join your police force.
How weird that he came up to your house and then even weirder that his wife knew he might have been in your neighborhood. I’m betting the other woman lives nearby. Glad you weren’t there alone with the kids.
Juanita Waggoner said,
Praise the Lord, ya’ll were not hurt. Yes, just like it has been said: keep those doors locked day and night.
Love ya’ll
Aunt Nita
.-= Juanita Waggoner´s last blog ..EAT YOUR HEARTS OUT =-.
Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings said,
That sounds like an episode of The Office! How bizarre and I’m glad you are all OK!
Lisa Marie Mary said,
What a definitely bizarre evening! And I would say, that yes, the ‘other woman’ probably does live nearby. Still strange, even if she does, that both the husband and the wife would come to your house. Freaky.
So glad it all ended reasonably well. The chaos that is alcoholism is so scary and devastating – to everyone around it.
I hope they don’t come back!!!
.-= Lisa Marie Mary´s last blog ..Learn How To Soothe An Earache On Twitter =-.
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