1/25/2008

An open letter

Dear Asshole(s),

Thank you for breaking into our flat yesterday and taking what is not yours to take. I can see why junkies would need a few inexpensive men's rings and a US university class ring to sell on for a few quid. It's a shame for you that you are so stupid as to be in possession of such a unique item as an MBA class ring from a US university when you are in the UK. If this is ever traced back to you, your guilt will be hard to dispute.

The laptop was an easy target - too bad it's a standard Dell laptop with a broken sound card. If you're lucky you might get get £100 which will buy you, what, enough smack to last you a few days? Perhaps a tacky gold necklace from Argos for your chav girlfriend, no doubt called Jade, or something equally trashy. I don't miss the laptop itself, but my lack of foresight and stupid, unwavering faith in other human beings means that all the photos of the first 18 months of my daughter's life are gone since I never backed them up on disk or USB. Thankfully I have a private blog which hosts many photos since her birth, but hundreds are gone never to be seen again by those who love her. Thank you most of all for this. You could have taken any of the other material things, but this is what makes me want to rip your fucking head(s) off. How dare you have this access to our lives, to all those photographs of my daughter, who is thankfully young enough to be blissfully unaware of shitbags such as yourself(-elves).

You managed to leave behind the one piece of truly expensive jewellery that I own, my engagement ring. It was sitting right on top of my jewellery box that you sifted through, casually throwing some earrings onto the floor and our bed. I assume you don't know proper jewellery when you see it, after all, someone who is used to dodgy "gold" and cheap tack aren't likely to know what diamonds and platinum are. So, thank you for yet again being a complete fucktard. Me and the symbolic nature of my engagement ring are very grateful for your ignorance.

That's all you managed to take in the minute or two you must have spent in our house after kicking in the door. You left the 42" plasma, DVD recorder, internet radio, passports, and digital camera. A friend said I should be thankful you didn't opt to shit or piss on any of our belongings, as apparently your kind are wont to do this sort of vile behaviour. By the grace of whoever, you were either to stupid and/or high but do much more than this smash and grab, so for that we are lucky.

Aside from the material aspect of things, you have compromised the safety of me and my family. My daughter could have been in the house on another day, another time. Rest assured, had you kicked in the door and we had been present, I would have had no hesitation in stabbing you with the nearest sharp object. Though I am a pacifist, the thought of your soulless character(s) being in my space where my innocent daughter plays happily makes me want to kill you. Now, on the days that I spend at home with her, I will have to double lock the door. A place that I once felt was infinitely safe is no more. Your fingerprints and footprints marked your presence after the police left, and I washed them away frantically in an effort to forget that you had been in my bedroom, touched my clothes, sat on my bed.

I take solace in the fact that you will no doubt live the rest of your pitiful existence as a thief, believing that taking from others is in any way rewarding. I have nice things because I work hard to have them. You may have someone's television, or the money made from selling it, but that is your life and it is likely to be all that you ever have. One day you'll find yourself in your 50s, an aimless loser in a dingy flat, still taking what is not yours. I hope it's all worth it.

34 comments:

Bittermama said...

Oh, Pru! That's awful! I'm so sorry for the violation of your home and especially for the loss of such precious photos. I'm glad to hear that at least some of the most special ones are saved here, but still, so many of them lost, that's just heartbreaking.

We had a burglary about three years ago and it was a horrible experience. The thief didn't take much of value, but he cut himself on the window that he broke to enter the house and then left drops of blood all over the house. It was very creepy. The Boy and I nearly walked into the house while he was here, but I saw the back gate open, and walked around to the back yard to check it out, saw the broken window and jumped back in the car to drive to the neighbor's house to call the police. We actually saw the guy run from our backyard into the woods while we were waiting (nearly an hour) for the cops to arrive. It was hard to sleep in the house for a while after that, and I'm careful now to keep my eyes open when we return to the house after being away.

Shannon said...

I'm so sorry. I'm sorry you lost all your pictures and your feeling of security. I wish there were something I could do for you, but I know nothing can replace peace of mind.

PiquantMolly said...

Shit, that is just terrifying!

And that asshole didn't know just how much he took. A laptop he could get 100 quid for? Fine. All of P's photos since birth? That pisses me off more than anything.

Eva said...

I am so, so sorry! That is awful. The loss of the photos is just devastating.

Waiting Amy said...

Oh Pru,that is terrible! Of course, the lost photos are tragic. What a useless waste.

I'm glad you still have your ring. I wish you still had peace of mind. Hoping you're feeling better about things soon.

Anonymous said...

oh fuck. Man. I am so so sorry. It just makes my blood boil.
fuck fuck fuck

I man sure- thank goodness you guys are safe & he didn't swipe some of the big stuff- but for fuck's sake- the photos?!?!?

Just enraged and sad for you.
xo

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry. What a violation. I feel sick for you.

DD said...

It nearly leaves me in a panic attack when I think of our computer crashing with the pictures of XBoy these past 6 years so to hear your photos have been stolen? It's sickening. I can't help but keep some home that they actually find it.

Actually, I'm sure you would prefer to find the bastards and rip their 'nads from their body as if they were but rotten apples from a tree. I would join you happily.

electriclady said...

Oh god, how horrible. The violation is bad enough, but the photos too? I'm so sorry this happened to you. Ugh, I would gladly join you in tearing those losers limb from limb.

Briar said...

I am so, so very sorry. Terribly sorry. The loss of photos really is gut-wrenching. We lost all our Alaska vacation photos when our rental car was robbed several years back (me hiking on a glacier - a one time experience, as you can imagine) and it gutted me. Losing so, so many of your darling girl is just a gazillion times more hideous. I am SO sorry.

Aunt Becky said...

Miss Pru, I am so sorry. That's got to feel so bloody invasive and scary. What a nightmare!

Thalia said...

Ugh pru that's awful, how terrible. And the photos too, what utter bastards.

S said...

so sorry to hear about this!

Anonymous said...

Oh, what? The photos? Oh, FUCK. I am so very sorry (also, very pleased the skanky little shit was too much of a moron to recognize platinum). And if you do find him, I personally will hold him down for you.

Damn it, how horrible for you. Damn it again, and damn him/them. The bastard.

Cass said...

Oh crap, hon. That stinks. What a loss. And what a total asshole.

Major Bedhead said...

I'm so sorry. What a horrible thing to have happen. Is there any chance that they might recover the laptop?

Meg said...

Oh, I'm so sorry, Pru. How awful to lose the photos. I'm so glad you have at least some of them on the blog.

Lut C. said...

The mere thought makes my stomach turn!
Sure, you can think up worse scenario's (you being home), but that doesn't make this any less horrid.

Nico said...

Dearest Pru, I am so very very sorry that this happened to you. I was teary as I read this. Do the police have any hope that you might get anything back?

Anonymous said...

OH.NO!! This is such awful awful news. And I am so sorry about your photos. Two days before Christmas, my car was broken into and my purse stolen. I was icked out enough by that. I can't imagine this, Pru. I am so sorry.

Suz said...

Your pictures?!??!! I'm so, so sorry.

Anonymous said...

Pru, how scary!! I'm so glad none of you were home. Oh my goodness.

I'm sorry for all your losses, especially your pictures. After all you've been through, that just seems like a slap in the face. I hope the police find these tards and give them hell.

OvaGirl said...

That's hidious Pru, I'm so sorry. But I am glad that you and Miss P weren't there at the time. That's fucked about the photos, I hope you have loads on your private blog.

Anonymous said...

Oh, that just SUCKS!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry these mo-fo's have made you feel unsafe in your own home. Jackasses!

All the photo's ... jeez I felt sick just reading about it.

Anonymous said...

Ugh, that's disgusting. I'm so sorry for all the things they took. In fact, I'm going to backup all my stuff RIGHT NOW, since it's long overdue.

Hugs to you. I wish there was something better to say or do, but there just isn't. What assholes.

rockmama said...

Holy shitbags, I am so sorry! The scale of ignorance demonstrated by the douchebags who robbed you is truly breathtaking. Just thinking about all those pictures makes me want to throw up.

Helen said...

The photos, man, the photos-breaks my fucking heart and I really mean it when I say that I am so sorry.

Here's to hoping the smack they consume is thoughtfully laced with Cillit Bang.

May said...

Oh, my dear... I am so sorry.

Kristi said...

May those fucktards rot in hell. I am so, so sorry.

Amyesq said...

FUCKERS!! Stabbing is too good for them.

SO sorry for the loss of everything, but mostly of your peace of mind.

MoMo said...

Pru...i've been a lurker for a while..just want to say I am so sorry--what jerks! As you said, everything else you can live without-but the photos. Sorry again.

Kerri Anne said...

People are such creeps. Seriously.

I still remember how upset and annoyed I was when my car was broken into and all of my cds were stolen. Not nearly on par with your loss and level of intrusion to be sure, but I still remember being simultaneously pissed and amused by the fact that over 70% of my hundreds of cds were burned and/or made for me my friends in college. Sentimental value? You bet. Ability to be sold on the street? None. Oh, and the fact that they stole the three collector's edition Disney cds my mom bought me in high school. I bet they were psyched! to find those in the mix.

(Oh, and I totally keep a crow bar in the closet of our bedroom. I wonder what I would do with it if the time called for it, but it makes me feel better knowing that I can swing that motha with some ex-softball-playing force.)

Kathy V said...

I came via Mel's post. I am so sorry that you had to go through that. Somebody broke into my car and stole a bunch of things. I felt so violated. I could replace the cds and stuff but it goes much deeper than that. Like you I had pictures of my husband and brother that I can't replace. It is that stuff that it breaks my heart to lose. Especially because that person probably doesn't even care about the pictures that mean so much to you. Like most of my memorable stuff, it probably got wiped out or thrown away. That is what pains me the most. That the stuff that means so much to me can just be disreguarded and thrown away. I hate that people have to feel so violated. I am so sorry that you had to go through this.