What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever had stolen? While not being exactly a ‘leave your back door open’ sort of place, where I live is hardly a hot bed of crime. The occasional upset does happen though, like the other week, when my next door neighbour’s bike was pinched from his back garden. Not a top of the range, mountain bike you understand, but a scratched yellow workhorse, he uses to tow a kids’ trailer to and from school. A doubly cruel blow as the bike and trailer, complete with his 5yr old twins, is the high-visibility part of the local bike bus. A scheme to encourage the local kids to be healthy and ride their bikes to school.
The theft of the bike was quite enough to make us all rather twitchy - and then soon after - there was the case of my missing sandals. Full of sand, I’d thrown them out by the back door, intending to give them a good scrub when I came back from a morning walk. An hour later they were gone. Some pots, previously piled neatly by the shed door, lay scattered around. It was so obvious. The intruder had returned and moved the pots, hoping to find a hidden key and, as unlikely as it might seem, had also ‘borrowed’ my sandals. Our little row of houses was on the alert.
My man, a practical type, was spurred to action. We now have a new high security back garden fence, complete with gate and bolt, painted a tasteful light green. I’ve even bought a pair of replacement sandals. (The previous pair, though 10 years old, were tough ‘walking’ sandals, their replacement a truly eye watering price.)
Imagine my annoyance to discover another person who lives nearby, had found a Labrador puppy from the big house just down the road, chewing an old pair of sandals in his garden. Both puppy, and presumably sandals, were chased home.
A prompt visit to the puppy’s owner. Yes, they said, a real puzzle, an anonymous pair of sandals had turned up in their hall, and yes, the same puppy loved to carry flower pots around. Wasn’t that funny? I was not terribly amused. Their puppy had caused us considerable expense, not to mention the work and the worry of having a supposed intruder in the garden. I left with my sandals in hand, determined to be cross and unforgiving. Until this evening. An apologetic card pushed through the door, a bunch of flowers on the doorstep and all is forgiven.
I hope you really like that fence, because I have an idea that it was built to last!
ReplyDeleteWe once had our mail stolen from the mailbox at the end of the drive (another house) and when I was a girl someone stole all the underwear off my mother's clothesline (we were three girls and our mum in the house, so there was a lot!)
That's a good story, Lampie. Sorry for your upset. I feel so angry if anyone pinches anything of mine; I would transport them instantly to Australia, or lock them up with hard labour for ten years. I had a bicycle stolen from our shed which the thief jemmied open and pinched a very old and battered bicycle that had been given to me. I was most upset as I was very fond of it and it was worth nothing except scrap value. Grrrr. We bought a shed alarm after that.
ReplyDeleteAh so glad your sandals were not pinched after all, it must be awful to feel a neighbourhood where you feel safe and happy is changing, and of course the flowers and card restore your faith in people. I am sure the fence will serve to deter intruders in the future though.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I'd better pop and check my Labrador puppy is in bed, tucked up safe! lol.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I suppose, all's well that ends well.
Strangest thing ever stolen was my Christmas wreath from the front door. Several of us down our road had ours stolen and I'm as sure as I can be it was the milk man we had at the time who took them, but I'll never know! ;)
xx