An open letter to the person/s who broke into my home

I had just moved my things into my home and had to go off island to help my 82-year-old mother move from her home where she had lived for 51 years. All of my belongings were still in boxes. You didn’t have a key so you ripped open the screen and took the glass out and crawled in through the window.

I am guessing that you wanted to help me unpack, so you ripped open the boxes and threw my belongings on the floor. That wasn’t quite the place I was planning to put them.

Anyway, you then decided to go through the things that were in the boxes and now on the floor. I am guessing that you thought you should get paid for helping me unpack so you decided to take two full face snorkels, a waffle maker, an electric pot to heat water, good kitchen knives, a woven basket from Africa as well as what was in the basket, and more.

Let me share with you about a couple of items you took.

The waffle maker has made hundreds of waffles for students, teachers, parents, and church members as well as others. The electric hot water pot has made hundreds and hundreds of cups of hot water for hot tea and hot chocolate for teachers, students, parents, and church members.

You may have taken these things but you didn’t take the fond memories of sitting around sharing stories and talking and laughing and sometimes crying together.

The basket from Africa may not mean much to you so I will share where I got it. A student brought that basket from Africa to give me for helping her learn English because she wanted to show her appreciation for guiding her with her lessons. 

I am guessing that you didn’t feel that was enough pay so you decided to decorate my new home with pig poop. You decided it couldn’t stay out in the fields or be used for fertilizer, you decided to decorate my blank walls with the pig poop.

Now, after returning from the mainland, I find where I am having to pick up after you and clean up after you and you still have taken items that don’t belong to you that have memories attached.

I hope you will enjoy making and sharing waffles with family and friends and share a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate with children and adults alike. I hope you will enjoy the snorkel masks as much as I have.

Oh, by the way, be careful with the electric pot, it is getting old and sometimes it doesn’t want to automatically turn off. Be careful because the water gets very hot.

Randy Yates
via email