So what’s less freaky than a stranger knocking on your door at 2:00 am? (Foreign missionaries aren’t allowed to answer that one.)

Remember the whole my-kid-bonked-her-noggin-while-visiting-family incident.  She fell asleep pretty quick.  It was about 2:13 am.  I was still wired from the blood curdling scream.  I had decided to sleep on the couch next to her.  As I am laying their I look at up the ceiling.  The next part is like a scene straight out of a horror movie.

It’s dark, but there is a light shining in from the garden lights, illuminating the perfect shape of the window on the ceiling and walls.  I look at it.  Then, as if on cue, a shadow passes across it.  There is a knock on the front door, right over my shoulder.  I clench my daughter close to me. Then the door bell rings, and it’s not one of those simple “ding-dong” door bells. Noooo.  It’s one of those deep, extended, here-comes-Jacob-Marley rings.

In walks my uncle wielding a club.  He answers the door shirtless.

“Ya?”

“Hey man, I just need some cash or something man.  I can leave my ID and my phone with you even if you can give me just $20 bucks, man.”

“Hang on.”

Door shuts, door locks, club wielding uncle leaves. I hear whispers.  Then my uncle comes back in.  No club this time.  Money instead. He opens the door.

“Here is what I’ve got.  Listen, it’s not cool to do this to people.  It’s late, man.”

“Thank you”

Door closes, police are called, I hold my daughter and lay awake the rest of the night.

How was your Holiday break?  Did it go as planned?