March 27 – “Squatters”

We have squatters on Sycamore.  There are two abandoned houses on our street.  The one next door, and the one a few houses down and across the street.    Now several days ago a neighbor told us he had been seeing a bicycle parked behind the house next door.  We had never seen it, but we vowed to be on the lookout.  Yesterday afternoon we saw the elusive mystery bike.  It was leaning up against the back of the house.  Mom said she had seen it that morning, too, but it was pointing the other direction then.    When we met him the other day our friendly neighborhood Gulf Village-assigned police officer gave us his phone number and email.  He had also heard about a mystery bike, so he told us to let him know if we ever saw it.  So after supper, and after a personal reconnaissance mission of our own to see the B.I.Q. (bike in question) up close, I emailed our officer and told him "I thought someone should know."   About three minutes after I pushed "send," a patrol car pulled up in front of the house next door.  Chris came and got me, and I went out front to see what I could find out.  The officer called out to me, "I'm waiting for another car to get here."  Ah, yes.  Backup.  I watch TV.   Soon another car did indeed pull up, but it was some kind of small sedan, not a patrol car.  And the guy who got out was wearing some jams.  At least that's what we used to call them back in the day.  Loud, flowery shorts.  I thought it might be a nosey neighbor.  But then he turned around.  He was wearing a black t-shirt with "Galveston Police" printed on the back.  And not only that, he had his holster around his waist with his gin at the ready.  The two of them disappeared through the already open front door, calling, "Galveston PD."   They didn't come out for quite awhile.  In fact, a third car pulled up – another patrol car, and the new, fully uniformed officer joined his cohorts inside.  I guess that got their attention, because they finally came out together – about the same time that yet another patrol car pulled up.  Must have been a slow news day in Galveston.  That's when I started watching for a Galveston Daily News reporter to show up.  The four officers pow-wowed in the driveway long enough for one of our neighbors to walk over to our house to see what was happening.  We filled her in, and finally the summit meeting broke up.  One of the officers came over and told us that someone has been staying inside, but they were not there right then.  He said, "They're probably out walking around trying to get people to give them money.  They will come back when it gets dark.  And so will we.  We'll get them then."  Our neighbor was so excited that she asked them to come check the house next door to her (the other abandoned one).  She said she had screwed the front door shut and someone kicked it in.  So two of the patrol cars pulled over in front of that house and started their search protocol all over again.   We were gone for awhile in the evening.  When we got home the bicycle was gone.  An email from our friendly neighborhood officer said that they had red flagged the house and would be watching it closely over the next few weeks.   Squatters in the house next door.  And we were worried about varmints from the jungle back yard and trees falling on our house.   James 3:18 says, "Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."   Father, protect these guys we call our paid peacemakers.  Amen.