Terrible Fight in Middle of Night--on the Other Side of the Wall

Last night, little did Jonathan and I know that our pleasant evening in Hot Springs after my last chemo treatment would end up a little less than pleasant. We had enjoyed the sun-bathed scenery as we traveled to Hot Springs, stopping to admire this stream and snowy pines in the red rocks--so like Colorado.

Then we checked in to our room at Sleep Inn where Jonathan had found a good price on a room--and it was one of the nicest rooms we'd ever booked. While I continued to revel in the warm, spacious room where I could quit shivering, Jonathan brought in a couple extra loads of stuff--veges and fruit we'd bought that must not freeze overnight in the vehicle.

The room came complete with two queen beds, and since we had the option,

I teased about sleeping in separate beds--which resulted in both of us reaching out to each other with a huge hug and kiss and the decision to ditch that idea. 

Every day, Jonathan and I choose each other--on purpose. Doesn't matter if other people are ditching their spouses right and left, we choose each other all over again. 

I practically forgot about chemo, thinking how comfortable the bed was, and that I got to share it with a warm husband that I can huddle up to if I'm shivering.  

Well, Jonathan and I both  fell asleep rather blissfully--until about 12:30 when I woke up to hear loud  noises, thumping and yelling. It sounded like it was below us, but then I drifted back to sleep. Soon, however, I was wakened with louder yells and bangs. It took me a while to figure out that it was in fact in the room right next to us--the noises were coming through the wall behind our pillows! 

"If you won't be--" I heard one man shout. Thump, thump! More yells. More bangs.

I couldn't make out much of what was being said. But then more unmentionable shouts and yells and thumps and bangs going around the room next to us. 

"I'm going to kill your mother!" the loudest man shouted. More yells, bangs and thuds.

"I'm going to stab you!" the loudest man shouted. 

Gone were the blissful moments.

"Jonathan!" I whispered, "are you hearing this?"

He nodded. "He was threatening to stab the other one," I said. "We need to do something."

"He's probably drunk," Jonathan said.

We got up, while listening to more thumps and bangs. Jonathan was looking for the hotel number and dialed it. He was able to get hold of the front desk and tell them what was going on and which room number he thought it was. We heard three sharp bangs. 

Was it a head being banged on the floor? Was it a nightstand being banged on the floor? I put on my robe and creaked our door open, hoping the hotel person was coming. As I looked out, a young man had just come out that room door and was starting down the hall, letting the door behind him slam. He was pulling on a rust and yellow fuzzy jacket and hurrying down the hall. He went one way, then the other to find the stairs. In a minute I heard another door slam. 

We waited with bated breath. Finally the hotel person came around the corner and listened at the door of room 405. "In here?" she asked. "Yes," we said. An angry voice was still in there, we suspect talking to the younger man on the phone now, since the younger man was downstairs also talking on the phone.

"I'm concerned for your safety," the hotel lady said."I need you to go back into your room and I'll call the cops."

"Thank you," I said. "I would call the cops myself. We are willing to tell them what we heard."

We went back into our room. "If Rapid is like other cities," Jonathan said, "it might be an hour."

In less than 20 minutes, two police cars were pulling in.

Still, "You better not depend on cops to save you from getting killed," I said.

The police knocked next door, and we heard voices but couldn't make out anything. Later outside, the police were talking to the younger man, probably the other man's son, and he ended up going with them in the car's back seat without handcuffs. We suspect he went with them for his own safety. I don't know why the older drunk man wasn't arrested.

Now that the fight was over and no one could be harmed, I crept back into bed. The fight had been on the other side of the wall. I could go back to sleep.

This morning we enjoyed visiting the generous breakfast nook. I chose instant hot oatmeal, scrambled eggs, a sausage, and yogurt, along with chamomile tea. 

Upstairs again, I kept looking out our 4th story window to watch McDonalds next door with no end of vehicles snaking through the drive-through. 

Once a dove landed on a light pole below me--God keeping on sending doves of peace into my unlikely places.

And I treasured the peace on this side of the wall.

No drunkenness, no shouts, no fights, no threats of stabbing or killing.

Instead, warmth and love and togetherness and gratitude and Jesus--with just a wall between the two different worlds.