Just a Little Beyond Groundhog Day 2021

 

Just A-Little-Beyond Groundhog Day 

Massacre of the Lawn

By Margaret E. Holt

February 3, 2021

A true story

It was about 1:10 a.m. this morning, and I was deep asleep.  But when I heard a rap-rap-rap on my front door I awoke and wondered who could this be.  Don’t worry.  I am very careful, so I went to the door but did not unlock and open it.  I just said calmly “What do you want?”  I could see that the person on the other side of the door was a panicked young Black woman.  

She explained to me that she was turning around in the driveway, but didn’t recognize that the drive circled around, so in trying to get back out onto the street, she got stuck in the yard and couldn’t get out.  Her boyfriend, whose car was idling in the driveway, was trying to help her free her car.  She said she just wanted me to know what they were doing.  I said, “Good Luck.”

Then I came inside and called 911 and before I could finish the call a sheriff’s car was also beaming blue lights in the driveway.  Now I could see that her car was spun around all the way down by the well house.  In about ten minutes, Sgt. Higginbotham, came to the door.  I did open the door to let him inside, because it was clear to me that he was a police officer.

He was very polite and calm, and said that they had called a tow truck which they would be responsible for the cost, not me.  He asked for my driver’s license, took it out to record the information, and in about ten more minutes he returned with a card with his name and the Police report number.  Soon a second officer joined him in the conversation.   They both assured me that I was safe, and said the “kids” who were stuck were very nice and had indicated they would be back to repair the damage to the lawn.  

I would have a copy of the police report in 3-5 days.   Then the tow truck arrived and it probably took another 20 minutes to pull out the car.  Sgt. Higginbotham said if the “kids” did not return to fix the yard, that my homeowner’s insurance company would pursue their insurance company for damages.  He felt confident, however, that they would take care of this themselves.   (He said the information about their insurance will be in the police report.)

He said he and the other police would not leave until the “kids” and the tow truck pulled away.  And that is what happened, and I was surprised to see that the last three vehicles going out of the driveway were all police vehicles.   

I returned to bed and fell soundly back into a deep sleep.  I’m confident that when the “well” people come by to check on things, they are going to wonder why I have been driving around in the yard. 

I genuinely like some excitement but not at 1 a.m.