Good People Can Get Mad, Too...

Good People Can Get Mad, Too...

By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

My eyes opened, I lay still listening.  I realized I was frozen into place by fear.  The light from the television shone on me ... I had fallen asleep on the couch earlier that evening.  I heard it again...

Footsteps on the gravel outside ... the windows were open.  Someone was looking in at me... I was terrified.  I stayed still as I decided what to do.

I knew I had to act fast but, I was so afraid.  Before I realized what I was doing, I was up like lightening!  I ran to the bedroom for the gun.  I had my own .22 rifle sitting in the closet.  Once my hands were on it, I knew I was going to be all right.  Thankfully, the curtains were pulled together.....

I began to tiptoe toward the window, I pulled the curtain back only slightly... I didn't see anyone.  I could feel pounding in my ears from the fear I felt.... then... I heard footsteps close to the house... oh my God.  I prayed that I wouldn't have to hurt someone to keep them from hurting me.  I knew that I would do what I had to do, to protect myself.

I was young, only nineteen.  I was very pretty, and men paid a lot of attention to me.  Sometimes they would stop by with the excuse to see my husband... they would always try to give me a message with their eyes... I would look away.  I was faithful in my marriage... sadly, my first husband wasn't.

My mind was working... I was backed into a corner by fear.  I had to do something instead of staying in this limbo.  I was going to do something wild!  I began running quietly up the hall, I went straight for the front door, opened it quickly and.... slung the storm door open...

I pointed the gun straight up in the air, began shooting!  As I began shooting, the storm door slammed back on me... the bullets shattered the glass!  I slammed the wooden door closed, locked it.  I ran quietly back to the bedroom... this is where I was taking my stand to ... fight, if needed.

I waited... forever, it seemed.  I heard a car drive up the driveway!  Up the driveway.... shouldn't someone be driving 'down' the driveway?  It didn't make sense... the fear was taking my breath away... I waited.

Someone began knocking at the front door!  I was so afraid.... I peeped out the window... oh my God!  That was a deputy sheriff's car that had driven up the driveway.  Did I shoot someone when I shot out the front door?  Would a deputy come that quick?  I ran to the door, opened it.

When I opened the door, the deputy could see that I was frantic with fear.  I told him I was so glad to see him, that someone was just outside.  He took his flashlight to look around.  He found nothing.

He asked me how did the storm door glass become broken.  I told him that I had shot straight up in the air when the door slammed back on me, shattering the glass.  He began laughing... when he did, I began to relax.  It really was funny... only tomorrow, it wouldn't be so funny when I had to tell my husband what I did.  That meant money to be spent on replacing the glass... 'if' it got replaced.  He'd probably be .. pissed off...

The deputy stayed for a while talking to me... when he left, I wasn't afraid anymore.  For the rest of the night, that gun stayed beside me.  I don't like guns, but... if had to be, I would have used it.  I didn't want to hurt anyone... but, if they would hurt 'me'... I would fight back.  I didn't live in Hell for nothing... I did learn some tricks... to survive.  I was a fighter... to the end, if I had to be... I would win... I wanted to live.

I lived there for fourteen years... that many miles from the nearest town.... fourteen miles.  I got my divorce, went my way to travel down other roads... some good, some bad.... I always came back to the 'good' roads.  I learned many of life's lessons the hard way... but, thankfully... I learned.  If I hadn't, there's no telling the person I would have become.... it wouldn't have been good, that's for sure.  Oh... if I'd continued to go on to be 'bad'... my enemies would have had some 'bad' days.  Some did, anyway.  Good people can get mad, too.  :)))