~ June and Wallace ~

by

Lynette Hall Hampton

“Mom,” I whispered. “Don’t get frightened, but I think there might be intruders in the house.”

Her eyes grew big, but she didn’t say anything. I went on, “Does Dad have a gun in here?”

She pointed to my father’s closet. I went to it and saw one of his rifles. I got the thirty-thirty and mouthed, “Bullets?” to her and she pointed to the shelf.

I loaded the rifle and whispered to her to call nine-one-one. She nodded and I eased out the door. I crept down the steps and the whispers grew louder. Then someone laughed.

“Shhh,” someone said.

“Why do we have to be quiet? You said you saw the car leave. There’s nobody here.”

“There could be somebody upstairs taking a nap.”

“I’ll go see.”

I was half way down the stairs. In a firm voice I said, “I’m not asleep and I’m armed. I suggest you put your hands up and get out of here.”

Two young men whirled around and glared at me with disbelief on their faces. The one at the bottom of the steps grinned.

“Well, well,” he said. “We’ve interrupted your beauty rest, I guess.”

“I said, put your hands up and move out on the porch.”

“Oh, pretty lady. You ain’t gonna shoot me. You probably don’t even know how to shoot that gun.”

“Yes, she does,” the guy who looked as if he was the youngest of the three said. “She’s the sheriff’s wife. She shot Gus in the hand. Remember?”

The boy at the foot of the steps cursed and bit his lip. “Okay, okay. We’ll go.”

I waved the gun toward the boys in the living room. “Put everything you have in your hands down and don’t break anything.”

They sat their bags down and I could tell they were using care to do it.

Sirens ripped through the peaceful day. I heard tires screech as cars turned into the driveway. “On the porch,” I commanded.

The three boys opened the door and went outside. Allen was coming toward the house with his gun drawn. Charles was headed to the back of the house.

“Keep your hands up until the deputy gets on the porch.”

Wallace, with his siren and blue lights on, pulled in as Allen cuffed the first guy. He ran to the porch. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Allen laughed. “Looks like your wife is playing police again. She caught these guys breaking in to rob the place.”

The front door opened and Mom came out. “Are you all right, honey?”

“I’m fine, Mom.” I un-cocked the rifle and put my arm around her shoulder. “They’ve got it all under control now. I didn’t have to shoot anybody this time.”

Charles came around the house leading another handcuffed youth. “This one was trying to sneak out across the back yard.”

Wallace had finished cuffing the third man on the porch. The young man looked at me with fear in his eyes. “Thanks for not killing us.”

“You were just lucky,” Wallace said to him. “You caught her on a good day or right now you might be missing an ear or something more important to you.”