I was on edge somewhat, not sleeping at all. Hardly surprising given the previous night. I’d convinced myself it would happen again, had to, all the evidence pointed that way. Beside me the girls in my life slept, one more soundly than the other. Eyes open and ears aware to every sound, I lay there listening. I was alert to each noise in the house and village. I could even hear myself breathing.
A slight metallic rattle and I bolted upright within the bed. I strained every sense but particularly my hearing. I heard a metallic rattle again. Jumped out of bed and peered through the curtains into the night. My fears were founded. I knew they would be back. Some people have no respect and care little for society.
He peered up at me from the middle of my driveway – our eyes met for a moment. Nonchalantly he turned around towards his accomplice at the end of my driveway and into the night they went. I screamed for Rachel to pass me the phone and punched in 999. The police arrived in five minutes but to no avail – the two had long since disappeared. Frustration, anger, relief – a real mixture of emotions.
They had visited the night before – whilst we slept and cleared us out – cameras, phones and many other items of value. Worst of all though they took our wedding rings and my wife’s engagement ring. The only word that can describe them is “Scum”.
Why did I know they would return? It was obvious, in their first intrusion the previous evening they had stolen every key in the house and stolen my car off the drive. It would only be a short leap for them in looking at the keys they had taken to note the logo of “Triumph” and “Honda” and conclude that there were motorbikes in garage.
Fortunately the lock on the garage had been changed and the chains to the ground anchors also replaced. It was their attempt at getting into the garage that had awoken me. There was a degree of arrogance to them, cockiness even – they really didn’t care that I had seen and disturbed them.
So the bikes are ‘safe’ for now and I’ll be extra cautious and a little on edge for a long time. Don’t let it happen to you, check your security before it’s too late.
Thursday 29 July 2010
Sunday 4 July 2010
What ever happenned to spontaneity?
In many ways I have felt a little sorry for Rachel. Sat at home on maternity leave, looking after Libby, can’t be easy when you were used to a career and long days in the office. Don’t get me wrong I’m sure she is enjoying it but the flexibility and spontaneity of our previous 20 years together is no more. It was of no surprise therefore when Rachel described her desire to ride her bike again before the year was out. Sure she got some strange looks from the other mums in the ante natal class as they contemplated this ‘blooming’ mother to be on the back of her husbands bike. “No”, she replied “I want to ride my bike again once the baby is settled”.
So the last couple of weeks we have been trying to plan a couple of hours of freedom on the bikes. My interest is stirred more by the fact that I keep reading a couple of bike blogs (dreadful as they are but I’m a follower none the less) and as such I too desire some time together, the two bikes and two riders gently swinging down the local country lanes.
As I mentioned though that spontaneity is now gone and what would have been a five minute conversation of deciding where to go has turned into an art of planning. First thing first – the babysitter. Tick in the box here – Nana is coming to visit next week, she won’t mind a couple of hours of quality time with her granddaughter. Next – the tax disc has been lost on the little silver Honda that whisks Rachel around the country lanes. It’s been sorted now though – the duplicate disc arrived in the post this week. Errm ....typical the MOT has lapsed – we’ll have to get that completed next Sunday morning before our run. There is a garage down the road that does bike MOTs every Sunday morning. Thank Heavens for an occasional point of convenience in this village. What do you mean your bike gear does not fit you? You’re thinner than you were even before Libby came along? Hang on a minute, is not supposed to be the other way around? Well you are always one for bucking trends - better get a belt then. And so it goes on ...........but we’ll get there and next week will be great. Our first time together on our own in nearly four months. And on the bikes it will be even more special. We’ll miss Libby but even new parents need a little time on their own to preserve their sanity.
I do fear Rachel is getting a tad carried away though. She is now talking about us going to see the World Superbikes at Silverstone in August as our first ‘proper time’ on the bikes. If one little trip takes all this planning now – how long a day out at the bike races will take to plan is anyone’s guess. I blame Leon Haslam – she’s always fancied him!!
So the last couple of weeks we have been trying to plan a couple of hours of freedom on the bikes. My interest is stirred more by the fact that I keep reading a couple of bike blogs (dreadful as they are but I’m a follower none the less) and as such I too desire some time together, the two bikes and two riders gently swinging down the local country lanes.
As I mentioned though that spontaneity is now gone and what would have been a five minute conversation of deciding where to go has turned into an art of planning. First thing first – the babysitter. Tick in the box here – Nana is coming to visit next week, she won’t mind a couple of hours of quality time with her granddaughter. Next – the tax disc has been lost on the little silver Honda that whisks Rachel around the country lanes. It’s been sorted now though – the duplicate disc arrived in the post this week. Errm ....typical the MOT has lapsed – we’ll have to get that completed next Sunday morning before our run. There is a garage down the road that does bike MOTs every Sunday morning. Thank Heavens for an occasional point of convenience in this village. What do you mean your bike gear does not fit you? You’re thinner than you were even before Libby came along? Hang on a minute, is not supposed to be the other way around? Well you are always one for bucking trends - better get a belt then. And so it goes on ...........but we’ll get there and next week will be great. Our first time together on our own in nearly four months. And on the bikes it will be even more special. We’ll miss Libby but even new parents need a little time on their own to preserve their sanity.
I do fear Rachel is getting a tad carried away though. She is now talking about us going to see the World Superbikes at Silverstone in August as our first ‘proper time’ on the bikes. If one little trip takes all this planning now – how long a day out at the bike races will take to plan is anyone’s guess. I blame Leon Haslam – she’s always fancied him!!
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