Excerpt: The Mouse That Roared (Chapter 18)

It is Christmas morning and Doug is in the bedroom closet kneeling over a safe that he had installed into the floor. Slowly turning the dial from right to left, he opens the safe door and studies a leather binder that contains DVD’s that are marked with dates and events. Carefully zipping the binder shut, Doug puts them inside the safe, closes the door and spins the combination dial to ensure their security. Brushing off his knees after standing up, Doug turns off the light inside the closet then turns around and is startled, as Sandra is standing right behind him.
“Oh shit!” says Doug.
“Merry Christmas Doug; I am sorry, did I scare you?”
Looking at Sandra with an expression on his face as if he has been doing something wrong, Doug closes the door, “How long have you been standing behind me, Sandra?”
“Not long at all. I just heard some rambling and I thought it was the kids, so I got up to see, Merry Christmas.”
Looking at Sandra, Doug begins to gain his composure and says, “Won’t you go wake them up so they can open their gifts.” Walking off to the living room, Doug gives Sandra a smile and in turn, she does the same. Sandra, walking to the kids’ bedroom, feels like a kid herself.
As Kareem and Chaka are lead to the living room by Sandra, who is smiling from ear-to-ear at her bundles of joy, who still have cold in their eyes, Doug stands by the couch, looking at the children’s expressions as they spot the many gifts that await them under the tree.
“Merry Christmas Boo boos; look what Santa bought you,” Sandra says. Finally focusing in on the colorful packages, the two children look at each other and now realize what day it is. Grabbing and hugging each other, they both run into the arms of their mother. Doug, taking in the whole scene, sits on the couch and says, “Merry Christmas, kids.”


Sandra, turning the children to face Doug, asks them, “What do you say to your father?”
Looking up at Doug, they respond together, “Merry Christmas.” Kissing them both on their cheeks, Sandra releases them and watches as they begin to happily rip open their many presents.
“Doug, would it bother you if I put on some Christmas music?” Looking at the kids laugh and hug each other with the surprise of each newly discovered toy, Doug says “Sure, Sandra, no problem; turn on your Christmas music.” Sandra finds a red Christmas hat and puts it on her head, which brings laughter from Chaka. Putting in a CD of R&B singers performing different Christmas carols, Sandra walks over to the tree and once again kisses her children, taking a seat next to them to share in their happiness. Looking at his watch, a subdued Doug gets up from the couch, grabbing his coat and putting it on.
“Sandra listen they have toys that need batteries and I forgot to get them. I will run out to get them and be right back.” Looking at Doug while at the same time trying not to say or relay with facial expressions anything that could spoil the moment, Sandra says, “Ok, we will be right here.” Removing his keys from his pocket, Doug begins to exit the apartment, but before he does, he takes one more look at Sandra and the kids sitting by the Christmas tree.

* * *
It has been about an hour now and Doug still has not returned with the batteries. Sipping on a cup of eggnog, Sandra starts to gather up shreds of wrapping paper, putting it inside a black garbage bag.
“Come on, kids. You still have a whole lot more to unwrap, so let’s go.” Giving the children a cup of orange juice and a breakfast bar, Sandra can hear the locks on the door begin to turn as Doug is returning with the batteries. Hearing the door close, Sandra bends her head towards the hallway, “Doug, are you back? We are still in the living room opening gifts. Do you have the batteries? Doug?” Sandra slowly walks past the kids, who are oblivious to her concerns, and cautiously begins to walk towards the door when in a mad rush; four large masked men dressed in black, wearing ski masks knock Sandra backwards to the floor….