Yesterday as I was coming home from church, I noticed a lot of cop cars at the end of our street. They were at a home of a man who died about a year ago, and the home had been bought and totally remodeled and sold again, but we had yet to meet the new guy. My curiosity got the better of me, so I got in my car and drove past the house again to get a “peek” at what was going on. The Crime Scene Unit SUV was there, a police car, the coroner, and a sheriff car as well. The door to the house was wide open, and there was something that looked sort of like a stretcher, but not really a stretcher, sitting in the doorway. As I turned back around, the cars were all leaving. As I passed my neighbor across the street’s house, they were outside talking, so I pulled over.
“Hey… you guys know what happened at that house over there?”
“Yeah……. MURDERRRRRRRRRRRR”
“You’re KIDDING!”
“Nope. The guy was murdered! And We’re movin!”
So, that’s that? My son’s best friend is now moving because of a measley little murder a few doors down. I mean, Really! The dozens of drug deals each week didn’t send them scurrying, but a murder will? Is there no sanity in this world anymore? I mean, who just picks up and moves because of a murder on your street???? Vagrants walk into our neighborhood on a daily basis and ask for money for drugs…. (ok, they don’t SAY it’s for drugs, but that tremmor in their hands and blood-shot eyes, red nose, and pale, sunken faces tell all!), but you don’t just move! So why now? Huh? Why now just because there was a murder? (she says as she slowly packs a box up labeled “Kitchen”) I’m not scared. I’m no namby-pamby…. (taping another box labeled “Linens”) Do you think I am one to just tuck in my tail and run at the cry of Murder? Uhhhh- Uhhhhhh, not Me! No Sir-reeeeeeee….. (looking at the Real Estate section in the paper…. )
Well, Merritt will never move anyway. We’re too close to his work. I mean, “where can we live where we’re only 3 minutes away from my work?” No matter that people are dropping like flies all around us… that guns are firing non-stop, we have to walk hunched down behind bullet proof glass to go out and do some gardening…. we can’t wear red, black, blue, white, yellow, green….. for fear we will anger some gang member during his daily drive-by shooting. I may LOOK like a housewife, but I could be an undercover Narc waiting to score my next fix and then nab you for selling it to me! Why would we want to leave this haven of peace and tranquillity? Over a measley murder? NEVER!
