Sunday, February 22, 2009

What If..

I just spent the last couple of hours, wondering what if..
My 8 year old son went to a friends house today, someones house he has been too dozens of times..
Today when I dropped him off, we were met at the front door by his friend.. I said goodbye, and told him I would be back at 5.. When I came home, my husband told me that he thought they had guns in the house.. I said he could be right, but I also thought that they were very responsible, and would surely have them locked up out of the kids reach.
I got there at 5, to pick him up, and thought it was weird (to say the least) that not one of the parents came out to see me. I just stood in their dining room with my son and his friend while my son got his coat and his boots. All the while I am standing there, in their dining room, looking at their disaster of a house. I'm certainly not judging them on the shape of their house, even though you could not see the dining room table due to all the crap on it, or the kitchen counters for that matter. What did strike me was the gun on the dining room table. Just sitting there. I have no idea what kind of gun it was, and that didn't matter much to me. It was a gun, and two minutes before there had been 2 8 year old boys unsupervised with that gun. I also saw a cabinet in their dining room, flanked by two deer heads, full of guns. And not one visible lock on it.
When I got home, I told my husband what I had seen.. We then asked my son if his friend had ever played with any of the guns. He quietly told us that his friend did, but that they didn't have any ammunition in it. And that sometimes his friend would tease him with a gun, by pointing it at him and chasing him around the house. I can't tell you the horror I felt at that moment, I'm sure you can imagine. My husband told him right then, that today was the last day he would be playing at this boy's house. To make him understand why, I asked him to think about the "what ifs". What if this boy was playing with a gun that he thought had no bullets in it, when in fact it did, and what if he pointed it at him, and it accidentally went off. What if then.. He understood, and said he didn't want to imagine that. Neither did I...
Jesus. When I think about what could have happened.. and thank god, what didn't.. it just infuriates me. His friend is more than welcome to come over to here to play, but there's not a chance in hell he'll be going back there.. son of a bitch.

8 comments:

Heidi said...

umm, yeah, that would be the last time my kid would play there too and i'm wondering if there isn't a way that some authorities can be notified about unsecured guns in a house with children. some people are just friggin' idiots.

Unknown said...

You know, we thought about that... he's the fire chief or assiant chief or something! Not sure how that would float.. we just won't be letting him go there EVER again!

Anonymous said...

oh my god. poor wyatt, that must have been scary for him too..

Bob said...

I wouldn't have the kid over either, unless you're prepared to 'frisk' him and go through his backpack or anything else he brings with him.

What if...the boy decided to bring one of those unsecured guns to school, or to your home. I would call the Division of Youth Services...What if something happened, you'd never forgive yourself.

Anonymous said...

Holy Shit! I can't believe that. Make sure the next time they call to have Wyatt over you tell them EXACTLY why he won't be coming over. Make Mike do it :)

Mrs. Samanthacat said...

Are these weapons registered? I would definitly call the authorities and make a police report and soon! What are these parents thinking! They should be held accountable. Child protective services should also be notified before it's too late

mermaidgirl13 said...

Holy crap! Shudder...it brings tears to my eyes.

Anonymous said...

This is just astonishing.