Because I’m a single mum, I’m used to ordering food delivery when I’m too tired to cook. Ravi, our regular delivery guy, had become a familiar face to my kids, Kai and Isla. He always gave them a warm smile and a high five. But something was wrong on that terrible Tuesday.
Ravi came in tense and quickly, and he handed me our food without saying a word. I didn’t understand why he was acting so strangely, but the note written on the delivery bag made my heart race: “CHECK YOUR TRASH CAN.”
It was hard for me to stay cool for the sake of my kids. I ran to the garden to look into it as soon as they were no longer paying attention. The second trash can had gloves, tools, and a strange bottle filled with liquid that scared me to death.
When I realised that our neighbourhood had been the target of several break-ins using the same methods, I became scared. When I called the sheriff’s office, Leona’s voice made me feel better.
The next few hours were filled with worry and fear. Leona showed up, and we talked about what we had found. She said that we should make our home safer, so I quickly put up cameras all over it.
When the security team showed up, I paced quickly while they worked. Every stranger that I saw seemed sketchy. Leona came back just as they were finishing up with bad news: the liquid was a strong chemical used to weaken locks.
It was true—our house was broken into. But because Ravi thought quickly and Leona worked hard, we just barely avoided disaster.
I needed answers when I went up to Ravi at a neighbor’s house. He told me that he had seen some sketchy people messing with our trash and wanted to warn me without putting himself in danger.
I felt a wave of relief. “Ravi, you could have saved my family.” I said, “Thank you,” with a heavy heart.
As I watched our new security cameras that night, I couldn’t get rid of the thought that someone was still there, waiting for their chance. I knew I wasn’t by myself, though. Because Ravi warned me, Leona protected me, and I was determined, what could have been a tragedy turned into a story of being careful and finding unexpected friends.
Right now, all I could do was stay alert and make sure my family was safe. I was thankful for the heroes who had looked out for us when things were at their worst.