An intruder rattles my morning

This morning I decided to sleep in. I decided to forego my normal wake up time of 5.15 to just lie in bed. I couldn’t understand why. I wanted to get up but my body refused to budge.

And then at 5.45 am I understood why. I heard footsteps down the side of my house. Walk past my bedroom. Slowly without hurry and not in the least bit worried. I sat up looked to my side to see if my husband had woken up early and was walking around the house as he likes to do.  But he was sound asleep. Strange I thought.  I thought maybe I was dreaming. But the footsteps continued so I got out of bed. As I was walking to the window the motion lights came on so I hurried to the the window. Feeling  the adrenalin kick in. Heart racing. Terrified. Hoping I was dreaming. Wishing I was.

And then I saw him. Tall. Back to me. Maroon and black jacket. Instincts took over. I wanted him to stop. To know I had seen him. That he had not escaped. I banged on the window trying to get him to turn just before he disappeared behind my hibiscus hedge. Obviously a professional, he didn’t turn. He never even flinched. I woke my husband and daughter up because I banged so hard on the window. Scaring them not the one I had intended. The intruder who just walked away.

And then a car slowly drove out. An SUV. I thought it was my neighbour possibly woken by the same intruder. My husband called them to tell them what had happened but woke up the husband. 45 minutes later the wife drove back in and said her son had seen someone as well when they were leaving. But she didn’t think anything of it. The coincidences strange. Paths intersecting at the same time without realising why.

We called the police then but they said it was too late. There was nothing they could do. Strange feeling to know there was someone so close to my family. To my home. I feel like my privacy and space has been violated. But grateful at the same time that we are all safe and well.

My quote today interestingly enough says, “In this moment, all is well and I am safe.” And that’s what I have to believe now. Not hold on to the fear I felt. Not stop living because of an intruder but be mindful of my surroundings to make sure I continue to be safe. And not think about the what ifs because nothing happened. A wake up call is all I have to chalk this experience up as being.

Now I need to get on with my normal routines again. Putting this intruder out of my thoughts and moving on. Accepting that was the past and “in this moment all is well and I am safe.”