April 15, 2009
My first time calling 911
It was about 5:30 in the afternoon and Robert had just left to go to the Stake Center to watch Priesthood session. It was one of the few nice spring days and I wanted to take Brady on a walk. I stepped outside to check the weather and naturally shut the door behind me and it was locked. Brady was inside sleeping in his crib and had started fussing and I figured he would wake up hungry soon. I had no phone or keys, and was only wearing shorts/t-shirt/sandals! I ran to the managers house just accross the parking lot and after ringing his doorbell 5 times realized he wasn't home. I ran to the apartments' office and of course I knew no one would be there on Saturday. I ran back to the managers, and still no one answered. I didn't know what to do. There was a guy in the parking lot with lawn-care tools in his truck and I asked him if he was one of the mainetenance guys and he said no he was just helping his mother-in-law move some stuff. I asked if I could use his phone and explained that I was locked out and my baby was inside. So I called Robert...no answer. But I hung up and didn't leave a message cause the guy was getting another call. After that I sent Robert a text that said "It's meg, I'm locked out and Brady is inside." We waited for Robert to respond or call back but he never did. Then this guy said he was headed to Selah where the Stake Center is and said he'd go find Robert and tell him to come home. So he left after I explained to him where the church was and just to go inside and ask someone if they knew Robert Potter. So then I went and knocked on my other neighbors door...I called 911. We also found an emergency number for the manager of our apartments and got ahold of him who called another maintenance guy who had a key to come over-and he just lived 5 blocks away. A police officer showed up about 2 minutes later, but all he could do was 'bust open' the door. So we waited on that option. Then Robert showed up!!!!! Rescued!!! By now I could hear Brady crying through the door and I ran inside and picked him up.
It turns out that the guy who originally helped me who went to Selah to find Robert, went into the church and Robert was sitting right there in the foyer and was the first one he talked to. He said "do you know Mark Potter?" and Robert said, "no, but there's lots of guys in the chapel". Then the guy explained what happened and Robert said, "my name is Robert Potter?" and the guy said "maybe...do you live in the Lake Aspen apartments??" and he said "YES" and the guy said "Well it's probably YOU!!" So Robert ran home. It turns out Robert never got the text message I sent him and would've listened to the message had I left one but I didn't. I was only locked out for about 30 minutes, but with a little baby thats pretty scarey. Robert only got to listen to about an hour of conference (sorry rob). But what a blessing to that guy in the parking lot who let me use his cell phone and offered to go find my husband. And what a miracle that Robert happened to be in the foyer and the first guy he talked to.
So the moral of the story is, don't lock yourself out. If you do, have a spare key somewhere. You can't climb in the window if you live on the 3rd floor unless you have a ladder. The police are useless except for breaking down the door. And make sure you know how to get ahold of your manager even on the weekend. Even better, make sure you have a prayer in your heart and your husband is at Priesthood session so the Lord will bless you as he did me.
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I love this story, I'm glad that you posted it!
ReplyDeleteMeg--first of all I'm so glad you were able to get comments working!! Yay!! Second of all--I would've freaked out! I'm so glad everything worked out okay...what a great guy to help like that!
ReplyDeleteI like the alternate ending of me being escorted out of priesthood session by two police officers to rescue my wife and baby in distress. Then upon arriving at the scene, there were two cop cars and a fire truck with it's ladder extended to our window on the third floor trying to get in. Luckily i got there just in time to give Meg the keys before they broke in the window or door. Much better ending.
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