I Had a Feeling

It was after 9pm, and we were in the midst of our usual, reading all about the Adventures from the Black Lagoon. Those sounds, those distantly familiar POP POP POPs, sounded as if they were right outside our window. The fact that we are located on a second floor immediate started the wheel turning in my brain. My mind left the story and settled on the idea of stray bullets flying through the window. Can't you just see the headline now? Mother is Struck and Killed by Stray Bullet as She Reads Bedtime Story to Daughter. Its not like mothers don't ever take bullets that were meant for someone else. I just had a feeling. The sounds were too close and I was too uncertain. Was this a drive-by? Were they just shooting up in the air? And if so, where do those bullets usually land? And then came the second hail of gunfire, this time more automatic, followed by the loud screams of sirens about 5 minutes later.

I told Emma that we'd save the next chapter for the next night. I tucked her in and hit the lights. A mixture of concern and street smarts. I've been hear before. I'm equipped to deal with this. But this time, I have a child to protect, one who knows nothing about street survival, about hood survival, one who peeked through the blinds upon hearing gunshots for the very first time in her life. Lord, I forgot this child grew up in Albany, where folks don't do shit quite like this.

An announcement over the radio during the morning commute, and so it was confirmed.

"A stray bullet went through the wall of a house in the 1100 block of 89th Avenue, hitting a 49-year-old man who was in his bedroom watching television. He was hit in the back and is expected to recover... six wounded in East Oakland shooting... It was the most victims shot in Oakland at one time since nine people were shot Oct. 31 at a downtown Halloween party" - The Oakland Tribune

Picking Up the Pieces

My Saturday morning surprise

The fact that its Sunday morning, and I'm here at work peering out at my car, which still has a backseat covered in glass, means that I obviously shut down at some point yesterday. The fact that my backseat is still covered in glass, and I am due at my company Christmas party this evening before picking Emma up, obviously means that I'm internally overwhelmed by this experience.

Although nothing was stolen or even touched, I feel an extreme sense of violation. I tend to shut down when my personal space and/or personal things are violated. I want the situation to be remedied immediately or it all just becomes too much. Seems silly, but for me, that's just the way it is sometimes. It could have been a LOT worse than what it is. The car could have not been there when I came out yesterday or it could have been a window other than the smallest that was busted out, however, it doesn't exactly make this easier for me because it just adds one more thing to my already full list of to-dos. I'm working this weekend, and working tomorrow, which leaves my window covered with plastic until Tuesday! Not cool. This would be a perfect time for a clone. To be able to push a button and have her appear. Close my eyes, and when they opened everything would be like it was before the neighborhood Crazy decided it would relieve his stress by smashing a couple of car windows.

According to the officer on the scene, that's who was responsible. Break ins are not unusual in the area either. The neighborhood fiends like to break in cars from time to time. I was hoping that it wouldn't be just a matter of time before they picked mine out of the bunch. Which is another thing about this situation that pisses me off. If you're gonna come along and bust my shit up, at least have a fucking reason behind it. I can completely understand if you were looking for some shit to steal, but damn, just because you saw it there and you couldn't control yourself? THAT is some bitchassness, to like, the millionth power. Anyhoo...

So now I am literally left to pick up the pieces, which are covering my child's car seat. Berkeley, we can't get back to you fast enough!