Breaking and Entering

Have you ever done something criminal without intent?

Like, many people have left a store with something in their pocket they forgot to take out at check out. Something like that.

Did you go back and pay for it or return it? I mean, what are you supposed to do? You don't want to admit you stole something inadvertantly. They're going to give you a dirty look. They might even remember your face next time you're at the store!

You don't want to get blacklisted for a 25 cent packet of Juice Fruits. No!

Like what if you REALLY want to steal one day. Then you're screwed because they're always watching you. 'Oh, my god, Tasha. It's that guy who "accidentally" stole a packet of gum. We better keep a close eye on him."

I bring all of this up because I actually have unintentionally broken and entered a house in the past.

What happened was few of my friends and I were delivering a piano to an house where the owners had gone on a vacation and left the driver the key. The driver knew the homeowners personally and had been shown inside the house. And you have to understand, my involvement was very peripheral. I was just there to give a hand to move the piano.

The driver parks in the driveway at the house where we're supposed to drop off the piano. Two guys and I grab the piano from the back of the truck while the driver goes ahead of us to get the door. We rush to the piano to the front door when the driver guy says, "guys, the key isn't opening the door."

"What do you mean?"

"The key isn't working."

"Let me see that," I go working on the key. Jiggling and wiggling the key. And it doesn't work, "It's the wrong key. Try the other doors."

We go around and try to open all kinds of doors here and there. And none of the doors work. @#$@#!

And here's what happens. You know, one of my biggest strengths is also my worst! I don't like to take "no" for an answer. I mean, what are we going to do with the piano? Return it?

No! The piano is going into the damn house if it means I have to break and enter!

I rose to the occasion. I was meeting my life's challenges head on. I put on my McGuyver hat.

I pulled out a credit card. I shimmied the card in the space between the door and its frame. And in 10 seconds, I opened the door.

Yeah, I was THAT good. Like some spy. The guys were in awe, "you are the man, dog!"

More than anything, we were just glad that we didn't have to drive back to the place where we picked up the piano.

So we pick up the piano and run into the house. It couldn't have been three steps into the house when the driver guy says, "guys, something's not right."

"What is it this time?"

"I don't recognize the inside."

At this point, I have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. The guy runs out of the house and looks at the house. And the thought enters my mind when from outside I hear, "@#$%, guys1 We're in the wrong @#$%^&* house! Get the @#$% out!"

"Oh, @#$%!" We grabbed that piano and loaded it onto the truck. Then we peel out of the driveway when our driver guy says.. "ah, we were supposed to go to that house," pointing to the next house down the road. We drive 50 feet down the road and onto the driveway, praying to God that the neighborhood Big Brother watch group has taken a day off.

Sure enough the key opens front door at the new house. We dropped the piano to where it was supposed to go and flew out there like bat out of hell.

And that's my story of accidentally breaking and entering into a stranger's house.