Stranger at the door

I was 10 years old when this incident happened. I was home because my school vacations had started. My dad was at the office. Me and my mom had been at the home. It was around the lunch time when the doorbell rang.

I opened the door. I saw a man, dressed up in formal shirt and trousers. He looked like a working professional. He smiled at me and asked, "I have come from your dad's office. Is your mother home?" That was believable because several times dad would send someone from the office to deliver or collect something. Yet, my instincts were pointing in the other direction.

I called my mother at the door. He spoke to my mother in an equally polite way, "Ma'am there is a medical emergency at my home. My wife was pregnant. She fell down and had a miscarriage. She has been hospitalized. I need to pay the bill. Sir asked me to come by and take money from you". He was standing in the doorway crying. Everything he did and said looked convincing. But I had a gut feeling that he should not be trusted. Besides dad would always inform us if anybody would come from his office. I could see that my mother felt bad for her, but from her expressions I knew she had sensed something off too.

I touched my mother's shoulder. When she looked at me she understood that I had felt something strange. She told to me call my dad at the office to ask how much should we pay the man. My mother put it intelligently not to sound scared or suspicious but to sound reassuring.

The moment he heard that I was calling dad, he said, "thank you, ma'am. It is 1 o'clock. I need to return to the hospital to give food to my wife. I will come back later in the afternoon," he too had maintained his composure and left.

Once he was gone, my mom called up my dad and informed him of what happened. Dad confirmed that he had not sent anybody. Dad asked us to not open the door if he returned. We also informed the security to not allow that man back in the complex.

Thankfully that man did not return. Dad informed this occurrence to a police officer who used to stay in the complex and she promised to investigate it further. She deployed additional security at our complex. Despite their best efforts, the man was not caught because no identification was obtained (this was the time before mobile phones and cctv cameras).

However, I had learnt an important lesson that day. I realised that people would use emotional stories about family to trick and deceive. I learnt that unless we know them, I should never trust any person. I learnt that we should always be suspicious than being sorry. I understood how important it is tobtrust our instincts. I learnt these lessons at the tender age of 10.

Even today, this incident stays with me. It shaped me what I am today. I am a practical person, but I do not ignore my instincts. I do not mind being paranoid or suspicious instead of trusting anybody blindly.