“Oftentimes, whenever I was really angry about something I
would clean house. Take all that negative energy and put it to good use. The taxes were done on a Friday.
Saturday morning I start cleaning. By mid afternoon, the kids were playing
outside and Dean was sound asleep on the couch in front of the TV. As I am putting things away and
cleaning out an under-the-bed storage drawer I see something that should not be
there. I very gingerly grab it by
the handle with two fingers and stand up.
My jaw dropped as I stared at a handgun.”
“Oh, no!” cried several of the girls.
“I’m in complete shock.
I had no idea it had been there.”
“What’re you doing?” asked a voice inches from my back.
“Dean scared the life out of me. I had no idea how long I had been standing there staring at
the gun or how long he had been standing behind me. I jumped at the sound of his voice. The gun slipped out of my fingers and
hit the tile floor. The sound was
ear-shattering as the gun fired, the window shattered, and the kids screamed as
they ran into the house.”
I paused as the room went dead silent. My heart began beating
hard in my chest as I remembered that moment. “As soon as I heard the kids slam the back door, I turned
around, shoved Dean out of my way and ran to my children.”
“Did the cops come?” asked Keri.
“No,” I said. “We
lived in a very rural area. Lot of
trees, neighbors far apart. I don’t know if anyone heard anything. When I got to the kids they were
frightened, but unharmed. The
bullet had hit a tree near where they were playing. I sent them to their rooms then went back to where Dean was,
still standing in our bedroom.”
“A gun in the house?!” I screamed. “Are you insane!
A loaded gun? Right where
the kids could get it, too. They
were in here playing hide and seek just days ago. What? Why? You do know it is a felony for you to
even own a gun much less have a loaded one in the house! Get that thing and get it out of this
house. Immediately!! Do not even
think about returning until you have disposed of it and bring me proof that it
is gone. And believe me, I will be
searching your truck to make sure you didn’t just hide it!” I was absolutely
livid and he just stood there like it was no big deal.
“It’s your fault it went off,” he said, trying to blame me.
“Get out!!” I screamed at him. “There had better not be
anymore anywhere on this property or believe me, I will call the cops!”
“You wouldn’t dare call the cops. It was an accident. We
don’t need to call the police!”
“I’m sure I said much more and much worse. I hate guns, always have. The fact that he was hiding a loaded
gun after being convicted of a gun charge was more than I could handle. He took
the gun, left, and didn’t return until after I was asleep that night.
“We went to church as usual the following Sunday. I sent the
kids and Dean to Sunday School class and I made a bee line for the
bathroom. When I left the bathroom
and didn’t see Dean, I found an elder and poured out my soul to him. I told him that I felt like I had done
everything I possibly could to make my marriage work. I told him because of
what Dean did in front of the children it was no longer healthy for him to be
in our home, not healthy for me either.
I told the elder I would be asking Dean to move out, immediately, that
day. He was very understanding and
said he and the other elders would support me and my decision. He thought it would be a good idea to
tell Dean there at the church.
After church, the elders and I met with Dean. I told him he would have to move out as soon as we got home.
I didn’t say so at the time, but I knew divorce would be the end result.
Needless to say, he was shocked.
Out in the parking lot, he let me have it. I don’t remember everything he said, but a few things I will
never forget.”
