The Night, the Cops Busted in

It was late at night about eleven o clocks or so, the end of a long tiring day.

All things have been checked off my list. Dinner bath and bed, Tarryn had just felt asleep. Together we had laid in her old antique, iron bed and watched Care Bears, the movie. It wasn’t like the ones they make these days. But it was the one that I grew up watching when I was her age.

Almost falling asleep along beside her, I fought and struggled to get up. Unraveling myself from the Tinkerbelle comforter with an urge to stay awake, needing do some work on my computer. Chapter fourteen was almost complete, about another four paragraphs or so to go. About a third done with my first book, ideas flooded my mind. Eager over excited to sit down and type it out, I run downstairs for a cup of coffee.

Our coffee pot broke a week ago. It fell on the floor and shattered everywhere. Little shards of glass went flying. I remember this because I stepped on a piece and it was a pain to get the glass out. It was nothing serious, no more than a paper cut but then again it is paper cuts that always hurt the worst.

I dig through the cupboards for a cup so I can brew myself a single serving, something that also has become quite the pain of late. I find none. I really didn’t have time for this; it was already a little too late to be drinking coffee to begin with. Nevertheless still had to get some work done so java Joe here I come. Anyway…

I look to the sink. Great, the sink full of dishes, I wash the object I desperately needed, take out a filter. Two spoons full should be enough. But I added another two more because I know I needed to stay awake. I had a desperate feeling that it was going to be a long night.

A long night that I have been waiting for. I love to write and I love it even more when the rest of the house is silent leaving me occupied in my thoughts, my imagination.

Three minutes till the coffee was done. To kill the time I go outside for a cigarette. I smoke Marlboro Lights seventy twos, only because they are a dollar cheaper. An average person smokes a cigarette in seven minutes.

Well, that was accurate the last time I checked the statistics anyway. Who knows what the time expectation is now, probably shorter, people seem to inhale the things these days, probably because life is much more stressful.

Or maybe I only think this because I do smoke the shorter version of the Marlboro.

The weather was cool and dry but not cold enough where I needed any kind of jacket. It was refreshing with no clouds and stars lit up the sky like diamonds. It was something to think about as I went back inside.

My coffee was done. Opening up the fridge I took out the creamer, French vanilla, it’s the only kind I like. I prefer the Wawa brand it is rich and thicker than other I have had before. But that’s what I had at the moment. O well, maybe next I would buy the other brand.

Taking my hot, steaming mug upstairs, I peek into my daughter’s room. She is sound to sleep without any covers of course. It wasn’t the way I left her. I always bundle her up but she hates blankets and refuses to be covered up.

I throw the blankets over her once again; don’t need her to get sick. Give her a big kiss on the head and turn off her T.V.

I go into my room across the hall, leaving the door open in case she stirs in her sleep. Finally the moment I have been waiting for all day long. I can sit down and write.

Following my usual routine I type Pandora into the website. With my selected playlist, a different artist for each character I write, I crank the music up, drowning out all the possible background noise. Cars driving by, sirens or anything for that matter would not bother me tonight.

I only was a few sentences in when I heard a rough knock on the door. Didn’t know who it could have been that late at night, figure it was probably a pizza delivery man. I do live with my two brother in-law, so maybe they ordered a pizza or something.

I go down the stairs and look out the doors window; I see nothing so I turn the light on and answer the door. Cops come up my front porch. There were a total of four.

"Hello Mam, we are looking for this man, is here?" The first one had said.
He was young, tall with blonde hair. His adrenaline was rushing, I thought of him to be a rookie, mostly like his first night on the job.

"No sir, no one like that lives here." I simply said to the porch full of police.
"You’re lying, I just saw him run up your stairs." He scowled staring at me with heated eyes.

I have to admit, the tone in his voice, the look in his eyes and all the cops had me scared. "No, you just saw me come downstairs," I demanded. "There is no black man here."

He said the description of the man was seven feet tall all dressed in black. There was no one like that here where I live, sorry I couldn’t help him I took one step back to close my door and go back to my business. Of course…

He didn’t believe me and we argued for quite some time. He was trying to push his way into my home but I wouldn’t move. I know my rights; I did not have to let him in.

We continued to argue, he kept trying to come in. All he had to do was ask. He didn’t though; he demanded I was lying and that he indeed knew what he saw. I kept telling him, he only saw me and I am no seven-foot black man.

I am five foot nine occasion girl, who had just put her daughter to bed.

My husband heard me at the door and came around the bend. Catching him out the corner of my eye, I stood my ground and turned the upper part of my body to see him. When I did that act the cops pushed past me and busted in.

They had us all in handcuffs in front of my daughter for six hours tearing apart my house looking for their mystery man. They never found him because like I said he was never there to begin with.

The rookie cop had lied to just get in. Why, I still don’t understand. There was nothing at our house and we don’t even know this man. But one thing I do know is that my rights were violated that night.

The fourth amendment to be specific.

And even though we did not get in any trouble, I and my husband are still getting a lawyer because they never had a right to come in.

There was no warrant or no permission given. We were violated and restraint in our own home in front of my five-year old. And after they left at four a.m, my house was trashed. All drawers, cupboards, closets and beds were gone through, wrecked. Things were scattered everywhere just because they thought they saw a man.

I thought we live lived in a country of justice, our police is here to serve and protect. Since when did that include raiding people’s homes with no regards for their privacy. The answer to that I still don’t know.

Were they right or were they wrong, many of us don’t even know what that means anymore, living in a country full of disrespect. Common laws which mean to protect have done the very opposite that late night. Instead an innocent family was terrorized by the very same people we trust with the safety of our lives.

Seriously what if this wasn’t a cop friendly house, someone could have been hurt or worse yet the way the cops pushed into my house, my daughter couldn’t have been in the way and gotten trampled over.

As a matter of fact she should have been witnessed to the cruelty to begin with.

Where did our rights go that night, no justice was served. They probably never even found the man they were originally looking for. As for me this is another lesson learned, do not open the door for no one.