Vandalized

What is this picture? Well, I am angered to say it is what is left of the paint someone poured over our Chevy Avalanche. The kids and I spent a wonderful week with my sister in Chesapeake Va. While the drive there always seams to take FOREVER and it seams we spend more time stopping than driving we always have a great time. This time was no different, except for this one incident.

I was awakened at 6:30 Thursday morning by my sister, remarkably calm as she said, "Kristin you have to get up. Someone poured a quart of latex paint on your truck. We called the police and you need to come down. John (her husband) is outside scrubbing the truck right now." Well, if that doesn't wake you from a sound sleep I don't know what will. I was awake and dressed faster than I would have ever believed. I stumbled out the front door to find that the driver side door was indeed covered with white paint. John retold the story from his perspective. It seams he found the truck at 6 am on his way to work. It was now about 6:30 and he was drenched in sweat, water and paint flecks. I stood there stunned. I guess I should have jumped up and started scrubbing. I couldn't move. It was a nightmare I was sure of it, only somehow I was awake.

We scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed for just about 5 hours. Dani and John apologized profusely. I know the guilt is heavy on their shoulders, only what could they have done? In truth they did more than one could have imagined. They were more than gracious with their time and energy. John even delayed going into work by 2 hours. What has struck me the most was how wonderful it is to have family around in a crisis.

Anger does not even cover the emotion I felt while working to scrub the paint off. As I scrubbed and rinsed, the emotions flooded over me. Anger, frustration, sadness, depression, and violation flooded me in wave after wave. Not only did this selfish act affect me but, those around me. As I continued to scrub the grief came hard and fast. I cried and cried. I could not believe this was happening. A vacation turned sour, for some summer fun? and and hour of laughs for some bored teens? What causes teens to do this? This act of complete stupidity took probably no more than 5 minutes for a group of teens to complete. Yet, the clean up took 5 hours. I had been violated, my family now not as innocent as we once were. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat at we explained to the children that a can of paint had "fallen" from a truck, an accident, a lie. A lie, we told to keep them feeling "safe" in the neighborhood. A lie to keep the grief and hurt from them. A lie to prevent one more causality in this ridiculous drama.

Cleaning the truck I noticed teens walking, riding bikes or skateboards through the neighborhood. Could one of these be the one to have done this? Riding by to take a look at the damage done? If it was, I hoped that they saw their damage to our property and I hope they came to regret their actions.

The truck came 99.9% clean. With only specks of white paint marring the black plastic trim. Over time I too will become 99.9% clean forgetting the damage done to my property and my family.