The Good Neighbour – Love And Friendship

The Guardian Of The Night – Source: Beauty Of The Arts

 

What’s the most real-life scary story you have posted on a blog? I’ve had several that I certainly would not wish to share, but this one is worth sharing. At least, I feel it is.  I call it my ‘Guardian Angel’ story. So here goes. 🙂

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The phone rang in the kitchen just as I was about to go out. The aerobics class was at eight p.m. and I hated being late. Should I let the phone just ring? Whoever it was could call back later. It was getting dark outside, dang! I hated driving at night on route Seven.We lived in Reston, Virginia at that time. I was in my early thirties.

…

I rushed over to pick up the phone and said a rather impatient ‘hello’? A lady’s voice at the other end, one I didn’t know, answered :

“So sorry to bother you. You don’t know me but I know you. I was able to get your number from the phone exchange. I hope you don’t mind my doing this but I am concerned about you.”

I was stunned by her message as our telephone number was ex-directory. What did she mean by concerned? And why hadn’t the phone exchange alerted me before giving out my number ? I thought they would have asked permission.
With a seriously shaky  voice, she said, “ There is a rapist in the area, do you know?”

“Night Fairies:
by: Hans Zatzka – source: Beauty Of the Arts

I didn’t of course. I rarely read the newspapers. Our only direct neighbors were out all hours and we rarely saw them. Feeling awkward she continued on :

“I know you go out about this time, I have seen you from my kitchen window. I live just down from you, facing on to the parking area. I am just calling to say don’t go out tonight. There is a guy in the area whose been raping women. He’s attacked three women so far.”

Stunned by what she said, I asked for more details. She didn’t have many to share other than to be very careful. I thanked her very much for caring. That night, I stayed home. Still, the thought of a rapist being around, was somewhat disturbing. I couldn’t sleep well.  Luckily for us, our house had been sold recently so, we would be moving out in a week or two.

We’d sold the house to an investor, who had, in turn, rented the house to two young women in their twenties. They came around to visit a few days after the sale went through. I gave them a house inspection and, remembering the rape, I warned them to be very careful not to take any chances.

The day we moved out, I wrote them both a note, advising them to make sure the locking ‘Charlie bars’ were always closed on the patio window. We’d had them installed a long time ago. They had done a great job to secure the back of the house. I popped the note into a kitchen drawer, where they would find it. We moved out and thought no more about our old house, until I met a former neighbour who said:

“Have you read the newspaper?” I said I didn’t often read newspapers. “Your house made front page! A guy broke in the other night and raped a young woman. She’d only just got home. He was inside waiting for her. Poor girl, she nearly died!”

…
My heart skipped a beat. How had this man managed to get inside? I’d given the girls instructions to keep the house safe. What could have happened? Later, I learned they had forgotten to close the Charlie bars on the patio window. He’d forced the patio doors open.

It could have been me who had been the victim. How close had I come to being attacked by this villain? The thought made me shudder.

I often wondered about the neighbour who called me that night so long ago. I never met her. I still ponder on how she’d got my number without my consent. Of course, I am grateful she did. Had she been a guardian angel sent to warn me? I’ll never know. I will never forget her or her thoughtfulness.

just to finish, I would like to add, I still feel so sorry for the young women who was raped. I tried to be a guide to her by leaving a message in the kitchen drawer, also alerting her to the fact, I wish she’d had taken the messages to heart, for she didn’t deserve to suffer that way. No, not at all. Eve