Meth Head with a Gun

I'm totally wired with caffeine today so if this blog makes no sense then my apologies up front.

Yesterday at around 3:40 I got a phone call from Ado, my ex husband. He was just calling to tell me that he had received a call from the neighborhood watch to tell him that the ex husband of one of his neighbors was strung out on meth and running through his neighborhood shooting things. The police were trying to find him but he will be keeping the girls at his house until they get word that the man has been apprehended. OKAY!!

What? did you hear that? A man is running through the neighborhood shooting things. My kids get out of school at 3:25. It's now 3:45, where are the kids? He informs me that all the kids are home and safe. Whew. Well, that's good, right? He'll keep the kids safe and will let me know when he's bringing the girls over to my place.

A few minutes later he calls me back to inform me he had made a mistake and the two little kids weren't home yet. L & T still had not gotten home. Is this where I'm supposed to start worrying? Where are my kids? School had gotten out 20 minutes prior and Ado does not live that far away from the school. He said that Mel (the new woman) was calling the school to find out if the school had been put on lock down or anything like that because of this man. He also said that the older kids weren't answering the phone at the house. Is NOW when I'm supposed to start worrying? Nope, I'm not to worry yet. Ado says he'll take care of it and he promises me to keep me informed as he gets updates. Oh, and the man also stole the car parked across the street from Ado's house and rolled it in the little park just a few doors down from Ado. Pleasant. Where are my kids?

I wait patiently for another ten minutes. Okay, not so patiently, at this point I can't focus on anything and am pacing up and down at work waiting to hear more news. Honestly, I could have headed home but it would have taken me at least 20 minutes to drive home and would have deemed not so productive. So I wait. After ten minutes I can't stand it anymore.

I called Ado's house and A answered the phone. "Hi A, this is mom. Is everyone home now?" "Yeah, everyone except T." WHAT?!?!? L is home but not T? How can this be? But before I can ask A starts telling me everything that's going on. I interrupt her and say "Yes, I know, your dad already told me. But I'm just trying to find out who is home. So, L is home but not T?" "oh", she says "L isn't home either." Is this good or bad? I don't know. Neither are home, school was let out about 40 minutes prior and the two little ones aren't home yet. But at least they're together? I told her I would call her back. Still nothing from Ado.

I called the school and asked if they had let the kids go at the usual time. "yes ma'am, school got out at 3:25 like it always does." Well, that was no help. The school let the kids out when there's a methed out man running through the neighborhood shooting things. I hung up and my phone immediately rang again. It's Ado.

"Hi Al. School let the kids out at the usual time", Yes, I already knew this, I called the school too, "apparently the police didn't tell the school that a meth head was running through the streets shooting. Not much the school can do now that they released the kids. A lot of other parents have called about this as well." Isn't this a pleasant situation? Kids walking the streets with a meth head who is shooting things (yes, with a gun). "Al, don't worry yet, there's no need for you to come out here, it's already dangerous enough. I'll let you know what's going on, I'm about 5 mins from home right now and I'll let you know when I know more."

So, I guess I'm not supposed to worry. Lovely.

Not much I can focus on at work at this point, except worrying. And him telling me not to worry really doesn't help much, does it? Or does it? No.

Five minutes later Ado calls again. "I just got home. The police pulled in behind me to tell me they had caught the guy and the kids walked around the corner at the same time. Everyone is safe and I'll take the girls over to your house."

Okay, I can stop worrying, right? Yes, I did. I got home and the little kids really had no idea what was going on, they were in their own little world wherein they walked a different way home because they missed seeing the little dogs at the house they used to walk by. Isn't it fun being a kid? They had seen the police cars, yes, but didn't think anything of it.

Glad my kids are safe and I have to say that I'm a huge fan of Theraflu. It's cold and flu season folks, please be kind to your colleagues and if you're sick, stay home, please?