taking a fence

We arrive home late - a friday night spent with friends.  I’m just parking the car on the drive when a figure dashes out of the dark in front of me and disappears down the side of the house.  A police car pulls up and two officers give chase.  What the ????

There’s a gate at the side of the house that leads to the back garden.  It’s about 6’ high and bolted.  Whoever it is, isn’t going anywhere.  Wrong.

The gate is busted open, wood lying on the ground.  I call Anniemay inside but she disappears down the side of the house too. She comes back, visibly upset.  Her compassion for her fellow human beings is boundless; “that’s some mother’s son lying on our lawn”.  He appears to be about the same age as Dan.

The officers emerge from the dark with the young man bent double between them.  He looks smartly dressed from what we can see.  Not a typical yob or vandal then.  Whatever the crime, I feel uncomfortable at the spectacle of public humiliation.  Luckily there are no neighbours to gawp.

I take a torch and inspect the damage to the gate and fence post; I’m more annoyed about the inconvenience than anything else - it’s yet another job to do before we leave.

At around half past midnight, instead of being tucked up in bed, we’re sat round the kitchen table with a policeman giving a statement.  The young man has been arrested for some crime - we don’t know what and don’t ask - and will also be charged with criminal damage to our property.  I find that I will be called as a witness if it goes to court.

First thing this morning I get my tools and make the repairs.  It takes just three screws.  

We only went out for a curry.  How did it come to this?