The Stalker Chronicles

Ok after great demand here's the story (so far):

Last Thursday I was at home home working and watching Josiah while Crystal was picking up Isaiah from school. I looked up to see a woman walking around in the backyard carrying a box of trash that I had left by my back doorstep. At first I thought it was someone from the church looking for something and just doing me the favor of carrying my trash off as the left. However as I looked it dawned on me that I did not recognize this person.

So I went out and asked if I could help her. She laughed. I mean she laughed like I asked her if she could juggle lobsters. Suddenly I was feeling uncomfortable so I did what any pastor does when she or he is weirded out, I started talking, fast. And she laughed. I told her this was a church. She laughed. I told this was my house and I was the pastor. She laughed more. I told her my wife would be home soon with my son from kindergarten (this was to let her know she'd be reported very soon if she murdered me). She didn't laugh. She looked and said, "You and Jillian (my wife's name is Crystal) haven't been married long enough to have kids. Did you adopt?" I assured her that Crys and I have been married for nearly eight years and that both of our kids are ours naturally. Now she looked uncomfortable (which oddly did not comfort me) and said she thought she should go since my wife wasn't there. I agreed.

So she left and I called Crys and told her about what had happened. Then she came back five minutes later. She demanded to see Park, my brother who lived with me. The only problem was my brother's name is Brandon and he lives in Oklahoma. I told her so and that only my wife and I and our two sons live here. That's when she said the lies just come right out of me and I'd be sorry if I kept it up. Now I was scared. I asked her to leave and told her I would call the police if she didn't. She was starting to say something when my groundskeeper and wife showed up. She switched Schizo-Chips to friendly and checked my story with both of them. I think she concluded they both must be in on my conspiracy and left.

At this point, I'm freaked out, but figure its over. WRONG! 10:00 pm that night I'm watching a Woody Allen movie with Crys and she pulls into the drive way, makes a loop and pulls back out. I followed her and got her plate # and called the police. I requested an extra patrol and tried to get some sleep. 6:15 am next morning, Crys is getting Isaiah ready for school and she's in the driveway again! We called the police, but she backed out of the drive and left before they got here. I keep a gun at home. At this point, I loaded it. I used to think I was a pacifist, now I'm not so sure.

That night (Friday) I had to take some students to a youth event in Hot Springs. I decided that I would also take Crys and the boys with me since I didn't want them home alone. When we got back, we came home to a freshly swept and cleaned carport. While thankful that Saturday's chores were done, I was weirded out, thoroughly. That's when I noticed the horseshoe hanging over my door was gone (She had mentioned she was a Jehovah's Witness and they're not into symbols of any sort). I figured that meant it was her.

Five minutes after the kids went home she pulled up again around 11:30pm. We called the police and hid in the back room. This time she stayed long enough for the police to arrive. She tells them that she was just being a good neighbor and that she is there looking for Jake, my brother ( who appearently just changed his name form Park).

Now I found my self in a moral predicament. What was the best thing I could do for this lady to get her help? Should I just let her go home or press charges? Trespassing is a misdemeanor, for which she would spend the night in jail and pay a small fine. What I did (though I'm still not sure it was right) was press charges hoping that someone in her life would either get her evaluated or back on her meds. And we've not seen her since, though there were two police vehicles parked by the church Sunday, I guess, as a precaution if she came back to make trouble during church.

So there it is, my 36 hours of terror for your entertainment and amusement. Here though lie the moral questions, do you as a representative of a church have people thrown in jail for threatening you and poking around (and cleaning!) your place? And at what point, if ever, should consider using force against such a person to protect your family?