March 7, 2015-
Okay. I was in the kitchen making my dough for my pizza dinner with friends and Peter was on the phone with Wendy (he is deaf in one ear---keep this in mind).
3:45 p.m. ----someone comes to our gate and rings the signal on our intercom—three short beeps. My hands are in dough so I cannot answer the intercom quickly and when I do I note on the monitor that the person is backing out of the drive way. He has a new model BMW. OKAY---NOBODY HOME!!! Five minutes later—literally—I hear two LOUD bangs coming from our front door area (we have a VERY sturdy custom made wooden front door—two panel connected to a security alarm). Of course I PANIC---and exit the kitchen to get Peter’s attention. He was in another room on the phone. I immediately notice TWO guys in our atrium, about four yards through the entry and start SCREAMING like I have never screamed before (in my life). The first guy is a very tall, well fit man with an assault rifle in one of our police uniforms (SAPS). I am now looking down the barrel of an assault weapon ---an image that I will NEVER forget..I am still shaking and cannot get it out of my mind. The second guy was a bit shorter but a little more chubby. I will not be able to identify the perps on a line up---I was so fixated on the rifle.
It is well known in this area that the people that live in this house are crazy Americans and walk around with weapons (true to a certain extent). Due to recent gun regulations, we have followed the rules and keep our hand guns in a safe—out of reach---MISTAKE!!! Anyway, I finally reached our armed response team and they arrived FIFTEEN minutes later---I would be dead by that point.
My screams and the fact that the perps could not readily see where the valuables (personal computers, cell phones, purse with money, plasma tv etc.) I think saved the day. They quickly turned around and left the premises. One has to know the layout of this house to have any idea where anything is. I have no domestic help so that would not be a consideration for a breach in security.
The entry was made through a gated entrance where we have two doors that house a “bin”—where we store trash and rubble from garden clean-up that is picked up weekly.
I have often thought about the possibility of this happening but when it did I lost total control and PANICED. Fortunately, they did as well. When I screamed for Peter, the perps had already left but he did go to our safe for his handgun. Needless to say, we both carry ours at ALL times as of that moment. He did not see the perps because they had scurried away before he realized what was happening.
Our custom made door is totally wrecked as are the bin doors. Those can be replaced easily enough...with time. Our builder came and constructed two heavy duty struts on the inside of our entry....no way we can close the doors and keep secure without some sort of support. We are waiting for the reconstruction but in the meantime feel pretty safe—NO WAY they will be able to breach that front door now!!
It could have been a lot worse and we are thankful for the fact that we are physically okay....MY psychological issue is huge....that assault weapon with be with me forever. Sleepless nights and agitated days...hopefully they will get better and fade BUT it sure is tough at the moment.
You know??? I think that putting this down in writing has helped a bit...we shall see tonight when I close my eyes.
Thanks for listening, my friends.
Okay. I was in the kitchen making my dough for my pizza dinner with friends and Peter was on the phone with Wendy (he is deaf in one ear---keep this in mind).
3:45 p.m. ----someone comes to our gate and rings the signal on our intercom—three short beeps. My hands are in dough so I cannot answer the intercom quickly and when I do I note on the monitor that the person is backing out of the drive way. He has a new model BMW. OKAY---NOBODY HOME!!! Five minutes later—literally—I hear two LOUD bangs coming from our front door area (we have a VERY sturdy custom made wooden front door—two panel connected to a security alarm). Of course I PANIC---and exit the kitchen to get Peter’s attention. He was in another room on the phone. I immediately notice TWO guys in our atrium, about four yards through the entry and start SCREAMING like I have never screamed before (in my life). The first guy is a very tall, well fit man with an assault rifle in one of our police uniforms (SAPS). I am now looking down the barrel of an assault weapon ---an image that I will NEVER forget..I am still shaking and cannot get it out of my mind. The second guy was a bit shorter but a little more chubby. I will not be able to identify the perps on a line up---I was so fixated on the rifle.
It is well known in this area that the people that live in this house are crazy Americans and walk around with weapons (true to a certain extent). Due to recent gun regulations, we have followed the rules and keep our hand guns in a safe—out of reach---MISTAKE!!! Anyway, I finally reached our armed response team and they arrived FIFTEEN minutes later---I would be dead by that point.
My screams and the fact that the perps could not readily see where the valuables (personal computers, cell phones, purse with money, plasma tv etc.) I think saved the day. They quickly turned around and left the premises. One has to know the layout of this house to have any idea where anything is. I have no domestic help so that would not be a consideration for a breach in security.
The entry was made through a gated entrance where we have two doors that house a “bin”—where we store trash and rubble from garden clean-up that is picked up weekly.
I have often thought about the possibility of this happening but when it did I lost total control and PANICED. Fortunately, they did as well. When I screamed for Peter, the perps had already left but he did go to our safe for his handgun. Needless to say, we both carry ours at ALL times as of that moment. He did not see the perps because they had scurried away before he realized what was happening.
Our custom made door is totally wrecked as are the bin doors. Those can be replaced easily enough...with time. Our builder came and constructed two heavy duty struts on the inside of our entry....no way we can close the doors and keep secure without some sort of support. We are waiting for the reconstruction but in the meantime feel pretty safe—NO WAY they will be able to breach that front door now!!
It could have been a lot worse and we are thankful for the fact that we are physically okay....MY psychological issue is huge....that assault weapon with be with me forever. Sleepless nights and agitated days...hopefully they will get better and fade BUT it sure is tough at the moment.
You know??? I think that putting this down in writing has helped a bit...we shall see tonight when I close my eyes.
Thanks for listening, my friends.
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
You are soooo correct--screaming woman vs. assault rifle??? 
