The Surprise Visitors

The boys think they are coming home from school today to a surprise . G and I have managed to keep it a secret for over two weeks since we've known that Grammy and Grandpa Lou are coming to town for the weekend. They had been told not to say anything to the boys when they talked to them on the phone to ensure the secrecy.

Yesterday, when I told them about the surprise, they ventured various guesses as to what it could be. Once I convinced them it wasn't chocolate or candy, they tried other tactics. "Is it Billy?" Christopher asked. "Sienna? Jordan?" No to all. Tommy had different ideas. "Is it a 4-wheeler? Are you going to wax my snowboard?" He finally convinced himself there would be no surprise of anything and that I was just feeding him a line to play a joke. I let him go to school with that assumption, refusing to give in and offer any hints or suggestions otherwise of what it would be.

This morning at 9:45 AM, I am just getting out of the shower when the doorbell rings. Still dripping wet, I wrap a towel around me and run to my bedroom window to see who it is. Upon seeing an unfamiliar car in the driveway, I assume it is Grammy and Lou, strategically working the plan to surprise the boys by showing up unannounced and by not entering through the back door as they normally do. I herd Koda to the bedroom, close the door, and unlock the front door. I tell Christopher to go ahead and open it and duck out of sight, as I am naked save for the towel wrapped around me.

Christopher opens the door but I hear no happy noises of surprise and kisses and hugs. I peak around to have a peak and instead of Grammy and Lou standing there, it is an unfamiliar woman. I dash out of sight, being quite a sight myself, and tell Christopher to tell the woman to hold one while I get dressed. By the time I get back to the door, she is walking down the walkway to the car, where from within I can now see more people. Yes, definitely the you-know-whos.

Realizing who they are, I intentionally don't call the woman back, because I am not interested in what she has to say anyway. But she sees me at the door again, or perhaps one of the others did and told her to come back, so back up the walk she comes to the door. "I'm sorry, I seem to have caught you at a very bad time," she says. "Yes, you did," I reply. She proceeds to get to the matter of her visit and after her first sentence, I interject that I am not interested, thank you. And off she goes with her entourage of believers.

Their unexpected visits always beg the question with me: If the Jehovah's Witnesses are such a great group of individuals who represent and preach who they are, then why are they always out trying to recruit the rest of us?

I think I may have to get one of those 'NO SOLICITING' signs for my door. Yes, I think I will do that.

The expected visitors will be welcomed with open arms when they arrive, which isn't soon enough. But I will be dressed by then. I promise.