By Marilyn Christy Aberth
It was a cold rainy day. Martha, age 10, stayed home from school because she had a bad cold. She really hated to stay home because up to now she had perfect attendance. It was always fun at the end of the school year to be singled out as one who hadn’t missed at day of school. She also thought about the spelling test she should be taking right now.
“Oh well,” she thought, “hopefully tomorrow I can make up the test.”
Her Mom said, “stay on the sofa and watch TV. I’ll be back soon. I’m going to get you some cought drops.”
Martha climbed up on the sofa and covered up with a soft afghan that Grandma had made. The cool bed pillow her Mom had given her felt good. Her cheeks were warm from a slight temperature.
Fritz, Martha’s dog, was on the floor beside her. He was a beautiful big, black Labrador. He acted like he knew Martha wasn’t feeling well because he stayed right beside her. Once in a while the would lay his head up on her arm as if to say, “I’m here Martha if you need me.”
Martha settled down and turned on the TV to a game show. Just as she was getting interested in the show, she heard a loud thump upstairs. It sounded like it was coming from her brother’s room. Then she heard footsteps. Her heart started to pound! Next she heard her brother’s guitar! Someone was playing her brother’s guitar!! When Fritz heard this, he started to bark.
Martha layed there shaking. “I’ve got to do something,” she thought. Her parents had taught her to call 911 if she was ever in trouble so that’s what she decided to do. She pushed the covers back and tiptoed to thephone which was across the room on a table. She dialed 911. An operator answered. Martha whispered, “someone is in my house upstairs in my brother’s room. I’m alone. My mother has gone to the store. I’m really scared. What should I do?”
The operator asked Martha where she was in the house. Martha told her she was in the living room. The operator said for her to hide behind the sofa and be very quiet. She also said that the police were on the way.
Just then Martha heard a voice call “Here Fritz, come on up.” Fritz bounded up the steps. It was somebody that knew Fritz and somebody that Fritz knew! Everybody in the neighborhood knew Fritz because he was so friendly.
In a short time Martha heard a siren. She stood up from behind the sofa and looked out the window. Flashing light were in the driveway. She ran to the front door and opened it. A policeman came in. Martha pointed to the steps going up to the second floor. The policeman quietly went upstairs. The guitar playing stopped and Fritz barked.
Voices were heard and then footsteps coming down the steps. Martha, trembling, stood at the bottom of the steps. The policeman came down holding the arm of a handcuffed boy. The boy had his head down. When he looked up, Martha was shocked to discover that it was a neighbor boy named Roger.
Martha asked the policeman what would happen to Roger. The policeman said that Roger would be taken to a Detention Home. He would probably stay there for a week and then he would have a short court hearing.
Martha felt sad looking at Roger with handcuffs on. He was 15, the same age as her brother. As he was led to the car, Martha said to him, “Really Roger, you just have to learn right from wrong.” He just hung his head and got in the police car.
Just then Martha’s mother drove in. She was frightened when she saw the police car. She ran up to the door where Martha was standing. The policeman explained to her what had happened and how Martha had called 911. The policeman also told her he thought Martha was a very brave girl.
Roger had a reputation of always getting into trouble. It seems that he had skipped school, climbed up the porch roof, opened the window and climbed into the bedroom. He thought nobody was home because the car was gone. He wanted to steel the guitar.
The police car drove away with Roger sitting in the back seat. Martha and her Mom watched until the car was out of sight.
“I’m so proud of you,” said Martha’s Mom as they hugged and hugged each other.