38 WHEN TROUBLE COMES KNOCKING

Have you ever had trouble come knocking at your door and you do not even invite it? That left you thinking, ‘what the hell!’

Am sitting here remembering an event that took me by surprise years ago when my children when were little. The memory was triggered by some elusive statement my oldest daughter made.

Smiling I shake my head as I recall my paternal grandmother’s saying, “Sometimes trouble comes knocking without invitation.” And I have learnt through the years that yes it does come without invitation or announcement hence being prepared doesn’t always apply or as we say in Trinidad, you cannot “take in front before in front takes you.” Rather you have to think on your feet.

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon as I left to go to the convince store to purchase a 4 liter 3 pack bag of 2% milk because I was on the last bag. I am the run low but not run out type of woman so as I made my way along the corner street humming to myself I crossed the street and reached the front of the convenient store when trouble came up to me in broad daylight.

This lick (piece) of trouble showed in the guise of young woman with a sad and concerned look on her face. She looked and in desperate need of some sort of help. I was engaged, poised to hear what might be the matter. Trouble of course with its agenda was intent on co-opting my participation in support of decent into the negative destructive patterns of self-negation.

I waited in eager anticipation to lend my assistance to the poor woman who seemed distressed. At this point all sorts of scenarios went through my mind, “maybe she has lost her purse, or she is lost and needed directions” having experience both these things I was ready to fly into action, that is until she opened her mouth and lay her sad lyrics on me….

The ♀:         “Excuse me miss”

Me:             “Yes”

The ♀:         “Can you help me please?”

 

I stood at the door of the convince store and looked at her and replied “how can I help you?” She bowed her head inviting me to follow as she whispered, ”the police was following me, and I stashed some drugs in the store right there in the isle and I need to go get it, can you do me a favour and look out and tell me when the police is coming?” It will only take a minute to absorb what she asked then it hit me. I emotions pin pound from horrified, to scandalized, to angry. you can imagine my face at this point, I straightened myself and I looked at her as if she sprung 3 heads wondering, “is she for real?” but I saw she was indeed very serious. I stood and looked at her with visions of my children being dragged away by Children’s Aid crying, frightened and confused about the whereabouts of their mother, the police charging me with aiding and abetting a drug user/pusher. As a single parent my children only had me.

I just looked at this TROUBLE, took a deep breath and said, “Lady are you FREAKING crazy! I am not about to throw away my life for you. You go in there and get your own blasted drugs and be your own damn look out.”

I was so incensed that I forgot all about the milk. I just went straight home and held my children, all the while thinking, what the hell was that. The shit just came out of nowhere like a meteorite crashing to earth. The sad thing is, my response did not even seem to faze her; she just went about her business of getting her stash.

What’s the point of the story you wondering, well its simple, temptation, trouble however or whichever you labeled it, sometimes comes right to you and you don’t always have to go looking for it. You may not be able to control what comes at you but you can most definitely control how it affects your life because in those moments you can choose. You always have a choice. Even when you choose not to choose, you choose, because life will choose for you and then you will have to deal with the fall out.

Remember, if trouble comes your way, do not be afraid to Rise Up and choose yourself, tell trouble to bite the dust.