Hi, my name is Kelly and I write about being a dad. Let me tell you 
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Scared of the Dark
I startled awake in the darkness, wrenched out a deep sleep. April bust into our bedroom shrieking my name.
“There was a man in our apartment. Go after him,” April screamed as she pushed me towards the door.
He’s got Alleke, I thought, as I flung open the front door and took the stairs. He was at the front gate, shaking it, and trying to get out of the building when he saw me. He swore, then rattled the gate once more before leaping the stairs, pushing two laptop computers into my arms and shoving me back from where I had come, yelling, “Get out of here. I didn’t do anything.” I scrambled up the stairs and looked back only long enough to see the front gate wide open and two shadows slip away into the darkness. I ran back upstairs to get more information.
“Is Alleke here?” I asked April.
She nodded.
I set the laptops down and buried my face in my hands as my shoulders began to shake.
“I thought they took her,” I said.
As irrational as my thoughts had been, for a moment I believed my daughter had been kidnapped and my life changed forever. My worst fear had become my reality—I had lost my child. I was haunted by this thought until the sun came up. Like little children, April and I were scared of the dark again and unable to sleep.
The policeman was right, of course, when he said, “It could have been much worse.” In the end, everything is the same as it was before, except that now we carry with us the experience of having had a man climb into our apartment through the window and leave out the front door with some of our things.
We’ve learned something too. Well, first of all, we need to keep the shutters down at night, and secondly, that Alleke is our most prized possession. The events of last night are still playing in my head, and every time I get to the part where the man hands me the laptops, I’m relieved. Not to have the laptops back, but because I realized then that he was only interested in taking my possessions, not hurting my family.
MORE ON: city life, dad, parenting
11 COMMENTS
Oh god, how horrifying! So glad to hear that all of you are alright and they didn’t touch Alleke!
They crawled in your window? Now that’s a scary thought 
Kelly and April and Alleke, praise God that you’re all safe. I’m praying for you today and in coming days as you continue to regain a sense of peace — in darkness and daytime.
June 1, 2009 at 1:08 pm
What a terrible way to come back home. So sorry that it happened but so thankful to God that He kept you, April and Alleke safe.
June 1, 2009 at 7:41 pm
So, so frightning. I am so glad your family is ok; my heart felt like it dropped into my stomach after reading the first sentence.
June 1, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Your thoughts in that moment were not irrational at all. Blonde children are a commodity in some countries (the Madeleine McCann case is just one horrifying example). Thank God you are all safe. What an experience.
June 1, 2009 at 10:46 pm
man…that's a terrifying moment…I resonate with your spur of the moment feeling. It was just a few months ago that Maisie 'vanished' from a little girls cheer competition and my first reaction was to run after a car leaving the parking lot! Ended up that Maisie just followed her cousin down some stairs in a gym and we didn't see her.
I love your line "we learned what our most valuable possession is" …so true..glad everything is ok. (and I am glad that you got your computers back too!)
June 1, 2009 at 11:54 pm
We’re so thankful you’re all safe. As I told April, my folks woke up to an intruder a few weeks ago. It really shakes you up. We pray blessings of peace and safety for your family, your household, your hearts.
June 2, 2009 at 4:47 am
holy cow! welcome back home, eh? glad you are all safe. i’m always wondering how my husband would respond if called on to protect me (no kids yet, but them also if they ever appear). if you haven’t finished the book yet, there’s a new addition for it. i’m sure all the dads (and moms) out there would be interested to see how it played out for you that night.
June 2, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I am so glad you are safe!
June 2, 2009 at 6:35 pm
I am so glad everything and everybody is okay.
June 5, 2009 at 1:26 amLEAVE YOUR COMMENT
Cara DeHaan said...
wow.
June 1, 2009 at 11:48 am