Pet-Sitter Break-In

Over the last few months, I have continued to call, text, and message Verny, I guess to reassure myself in some way, but sometimes when I'm not in a rush I just look at her name in my phone, with her number beneath it, and I feel perplexed. It says, simply, Verny Belitz. Verny Belitz. It has been that way on every phone I've had, though I've only been using cell phones since I was 19. Seeing her name on my phone was never such a big deal, but now it leaves me feeling at odds because of all of my contacts that I could call, I'll never be able to reach Verny in the same way again. I think Verny always had a sixth sense about my calls, because whenever it was just a casual call it would go to voicemail, but when I was truly in need she'd always answer.

That case was similar one night this summer, when I was staying in Veronica's old room at her parents' house. Vern's dad had informed me that they would be out of town for a few days, it being race week and all, and that a pet-sitter would drop by in the morning to check on things. I said OK, I mean, I could handle that, not to mention I'd be at work most of the day anyways, so I could avoid whatever awkward conversation having a pet-sitter over might entail. He told me, in fact, just before I was leaving for work, and I wouldn't be back until about 10:30PM, just in time to hit the hay so that I could be back to work by 8 the next morning.

I was already strung out about race week, because the night before I'd been held up by this NASCAR semi-truck parade, which decided to commence right as I was leaving work that night, and lasted a grooling 45 minutes. That had left me in an iffy mood. This night, thankfully, I remembered the secret roads Vern had shown me to get to her house, and took those instead of the parkway. I couldn't see all that well, but I made it OK, and was in bed by 11.

Well a few hours later, at about 1 in the morning, the dogs began to bark and scamper around upstairs. Something was up, and I grabbed my mace off of the nightstand, my cellphone under my pillow, and bolted up. Car lights scanned across the windows: someone was in the driveway! I sat there for a while, hoping they'd turn around, but I heard them slam the car door. Uh oh, not good--someone must know the folks aren't in and is taking advantage of it! I was very scared, and then terrified when someone tried the doornob, and I burst out of the bed and went to hide in Veronica's shower. I was sure my end was near, and I didn't have a way to get in touch with Vern's folks, so I texted Vern and told her someone was trying to break into their house.

Well, Verny called me immidiately, and the first thing she said was "Rene, are you OK?" I whispered back yes, but I didn't know for how long and someone was trying to get in. Verny told me to call the cops, but being in panic mode I'd forgotten the number to 911 (honestly, I didn't even think about 911!) and was feeling really helpless in her bathroom. She told me to stay calm and hide, and that it would be OK. "I can't believe this is happening! I knew it...you stay quiet and I'll call the cops, OK?" I said OK, we exchanged I love yous, and hung up.

Verny did in fact call the cops, and to make sure I kept quiet we texted about what was going on. I wigged out and texted to her that they had made it in the upstairs door, and now I was doomed! I listened carefully and texted to her, telling her that it must be someone who knows her parents, because they knew the names of her dogs, too. Not much later, the perpetrator left in the unidentified vehicle, and I received a text from Vern saying, "Oh great, it's the pet-sitter. I already called the cops..."

We texted more about what was happening--the cops arrived shortly after, searched all around the house and knocked roughly on the door. I told Vern I didn't want to answer it but she said go ahead so I did. I said everything was OK, and her parent's neighbor was over having a look at things, too. We concluded that it was, in fact, the pet-sitter, who thought it would be a genius idea to stop by at 1 in the morning, after some race event, to check up on the dogs. I was a little more than perturbed, as it was truly scary, and whatever she had come over to do I could have done just as easily! I could hardly sleep the rest of the night, but it was OK because me and Verny texted about it and made jokes.

This is just one of countless examples of Vern's valiance, compassion, and dedication to those she loves. She was hanging out with friends that night, but she went out of her way to make me feel OK and even to call Bristol authorities, all the way from Knoxville, about what turned out to be a pretty silly incident. She assumed the role of hero without any questions asked, in many more situations than this, serious and humorous alike.

Vern was a true leader if there ever was one, and even if she sometimes didn't feel like saving the world (which was a rare occasion at that), she has from day one been my unstoppable hero, just by being herself.