By Practicerestraint
All is true.—Shakespeare, Henry VIII
10:20 p.m.
The text message read: You have two minutes to get dressed and be ready. Unlock the front door.
10:25 p.m.
I was brushing my teeth when I heard the noise at the front door. Then I heard, “Police! Announce yourself!”
It’s hard to announce yourself with a mouthful of toothpaste. I spit, rinsed, and moved from the bathroom to the bedroom as the officer repeated himself and I called out, “I’m here.”
“Come out here!”
I walked into the dark hall to see a flashlight and a gun pointed at me. The officer’s specific words after that escape me. They were nonstop directions that ended only when I was lying face down on the carpet at the end of the hall, arms out to the sides, palms up. The officer knelt, grabbed my left wrist, pulled my arm to the middle of my back, and applied the handcuffs. After he brought my right hand back to complete the job, I realized he had my palms facing out. He instructed me to stand, providing assistance as I did. He grabbed my left arm and led me out the door.
