I got burgled

A couple of months ago, Carolina and I got our apartment busted into while we slept. I suppose I have only myself to blame for leaving my keys and shiny things within plain sight of an open window. The table where I left these things, laptop, cell phone and camera, weren’t within arm’s reach of the window, but certainly, and demonstratively, within broom’s reach. The burglar used the broom we leave outside to drag the table to the window to grab the keys and conveniently let himself in. The keys were left in my plant pot outside. Because the key was bent, I suppose that he used it to push the door toward the hinges to keep it from squeaking. I was thinking that perhaps he could have bent it from pushing it into clay to copy the key, but I don’t think that would have bent it and it would be a lot easier to just pocket the keys altogether. At any rate, we’ve got to change the lock.

 

The most alarming part was that my shorts, which I always take off at the side of my bed before hitting the sack were found next to the open door when we woke up in the morning. He made off with a measly 200 pesos and interestingly, my debit card was pulled out but not taken. Why didn’t he just take the whole fucking wallet? Supposing that he took a picture of my card or wrote it down to use online or something, I quickly got it replaced. He also rummaged through our drawers in the bedroom, not finding anything work taking. Everything was carried off in my own backpack.

 

A CD magazine was fished out of my neighbor’s window, but it seems we were the only ones that really got it.

 

I asked my students if anybody had ever broken into their house while they slept. They said “ay, muchas veses!”

 

Since then we’ve been looking for a new apartment, but with no avail. Everything is either outrageously expensive or much more slummy than what we’re working with now. I’ve put on a deadbolt and ghetto alarm, which has helped us sleep at night. We still don’t close our windows because the heat and humidity is unbearable. Some mornings we find the corner of the curtains pulled to the side. Evidently somebody is peaking in while we sleep, but they can’t get in unless they kick down the door which would wake me up, prompting me to stab them in the face with the steak knife I keep by my bed.

 

I’ve since replaced what was stolen and only use my laptop in my bedroom where it is out of sight.