I look at my phone and see it's a guy who I've been there for as he recovers from alcohol and crack. I had visited him in the rehab he had finally gone into, and then kept in touch with him after. I had brought him some food from our food pantry. I had took him for a Thanksgiving meal at our church.
"Hey, Don (not his real name) what's up?"
I'm in trouble!
"It'll be okay, what's going on?"
I'm in my front bedroom, locked in, I think I'm going to be rolled!
"By who?"
Audrey (not her real name)! I had her over, and she invited two guys over and I think they were out there robbing my house.
"And that's when you went to the bedroom?"
Yeah. I need you to come over, to see if they're still there.
"It's been awhile since you heard anything?"
Yeah, but they could be hiding.
"Well...why not loudly announce that you have me on the phone, and that I'll call the police if I don't hear you any more?"
Okay.
He then proceeded to go room by room, while talking with me.
"Don?"
Yeah?
"Did you smoke anything today?"
Audrey did when she came over.
"But did you maybe smoke some with her?"
I might have had one hit, but that was it.
"I understand, Don. It'll be okay. Could it be that maybe she just had some buddies come by to pick her up and take her to where more 'stuff' was available? Like after your money ran out? And that maybe they meant no harm and are gone?"
Yeah, maybe. But they could be hiding, too. To rob me.
"But there's nothing really to rob, you know?"
My mom's stuff. There's that.
"Yes, that's a nice china hutch she left you, but it's not something anyone can pocket easily, is it?"
No, I guess not.
"You through with the search?"
I got it all checked but the basement. And I got the front door locked.
"You have the back door locked?"
Not yet.
"Go do that now. Then we'll check the basement."
Okay. You don't think they took anything?
"Nah, Don, I think you're okay. I bet they're gone and didn't take a thing. Just the 'stuff' talking, it makes you a bit paranoid, remember?"
Yeah, the counselors said you were right about that.
"I am. It'll be okay, just check the basement real quick. You at the back door?"
Yeah.
"Is it locked?"
Yeah, I just locked it.
"Okay, let's go down stairs."
*yelling loudly* HEY, I GOT DEAN ON THE PHONE AND HE'LL CALL THE POLICE IF YOU'RE DOWN HERE!!
"Sounds quiet, Don. You okay, now?"
Yeah, sorry for calling. I'm just frazzled. You know how it is.
(I do know how it is.)
"Yes, Don, I know how it is. It'll wear off. You're safe now, though. The doors are locked. Do you have any more money?"
No, I'm broke.
"It'll be okay. But you know you shouldn't have Audrey over. Please try and avoid that in the future.
I guess there are safer women.
"I would say any of them would be safer, Don, given how you two are together."
Yeah. I told her not to call anyone over.
"I know. Well, just kick back and rest now. But call me tomorrow, okay? We'll figure it out."
Okay, thanks Dean.
"No problem, buddy. Call again if you need to."
*ahem*
I've greatly synopsized that conversation, as my wife could attest to. For instance, he didn't just check each room, but each closet and behind dressers and under beds and couches. And when going to the back door he went out the front, locked it from the outside, then went to the back so he could see if anyone was lurking around the house.
And we talked the whole time. Including advice on getting back on the horse, the desirability of AA meetings, and how some women who are addicts are best avoided, perhaps especially when you've a noticeable bit of money.
Does this mean it's over, he failed?
Well, given his age and health condition, I am - and have been for a long time - worried about him. I know it can take a lot of relapses before sobriety "takes". But I'm not thinking he has many relapses left.
Sadly, I know him well enough, and for a long enough number of years to know that this was not the "relapse". He relapsed, kept it semi-hid and now is building up some steam to be right back in the thick of it. It's almost a pity he owns his own home, I could try to squeak him in our house and keep a better eye on him.
Ahh, well. Tomorrow is another day, and we'll see what we see when he calls again.
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