Fire!!!!!!!!!

     Pippa and I were sound asleep Thursday night when we were awakened by some strange noises.  One of those noises, that I figured out later, was the doorbell.  But it sounded more like a sad, scratchy old homemade out of tin can bell, not the door bell I was used to hearing.  Not sure what was going on there.  Someone was also knocking at my door.  But it was about 1:15 AM.  That could only mean trouble.
     I peeked out through the window and saw a young man walking back to a small SUV that was driven by a woman.  They left.  Doing a quick mental inventory of my kids, I knew there was probably only one who wasn't accountable to anyone else that night. So  I called him just to make sure he was ok.  About the time he answered, that odd door bell noise started again and this time I could hear two people pounding on my front door.
     "Don't say anything!" my son ordered.  I was quiet but Pippa wasn't.  After dealing with women showing up at my house over the years, we knew very well that it could be yet another one, upset about something she had just experienced and wanting to tell me about it.
     "There's a fire in your back yard!  Fire!  In your back yard!"  I opened the door to find two people frantically trying to get my attention for my benefit this time.  They told me they had already called 911 (oh no.........but they didn't know what all I had been through at the hands of those responding to 911 calls) and I thanked them.
     I quickly ran to the back of the house and saw a small fire near my fence, burning leaves.  I could have easily put it out with a garden hose but the fire truck had already arrived.  So I watched from the deck.  They put out the fire behind my fence and then stopped.  The fire continued to grow in my yard and my fence started to burn!  What was the deal!
     I went the front way and found them trying to disassemble my broken gate.  Not one of the three would look at me.  I asked if they could please use the other gate.  They agreed.  Again, avoiding eye contact with me.
     They made short work of the fire and went back around the back of my fence.  I walked around and thanked them, which wasn't easy since they didn't want to look me in the eye.  You see.  They knew me.  And they knew part of what had been done to me.  They knew before I did.  But I thanked them just the same.  And stood my ground at the same time.
     A few months ago, one of their superiors had published lies about me.  Flat out lies.  And another one of them called me a liar at a fire scene a while back.  Because they don't know the truth.  I made sure some truth was told this time.  I can't be treated differently or disrespected because of what someone else has done or said.
     Because of that fire, PTSD took over me.  The people at the door in the night.  The firefighters.  Actually everything except the fire.  I hurt all over.  It's getting better today.  The pain is more localized and not from head to toe like it was the last couple of days.
     The devil thought he would do a real number on me that night.  I had had a wonderful week and was resting so well.  So the enemy decided he would try to ruin that.  He didn't win.  While I may be dealing with PTSD symptoms now, it's just a battle.  My God has already won the war!  I will come through this even stronger!
     And that fire?  I really appreciate the young people who cared enough to wake me that night.  They had no idea what I was dealing with.  They were just trying to help.  And it appears the fire was  caused by a broken electrical line.  But it exposed the fact that homeless people apparently party right behind my fence.  Good to know...........Shaking my head.......