Part 1 of I will never leave you nor forsake you...

With a jolt I wake and unexpectedly hear a thud outside the front door. I shrug it off, certain it couldn't be anything of concern. Until two more thuds break the night's peace. "That's odd, how in the world could someone make it up to my floor? I wonder. The elevator requires four locks before it will even give you the privilege of opening it's doors.

Sitting straight up in bed with my muscles tense, seconds seem like minutes. I debate waking Javier, my husband and asking him to check it out. I glance over and find him in his favorite solid sleeping position. Face up, on his back, elbows out and hands tightly clasped. All reminding me of a corpse resting in peace in it's casket. As I often jokingly tell him.

Not wanting to go through the torture of explaining unexplainable thuds in the night, I wait to see if I hear it again. Unable to take it any longer, I swing my bear feet out and my toes hit the cool tile floor. There, I hear it again! Thinking the fastest way to silence doubt is with action, I walk down the short hallway toward the front door. Ignoring what an eeirly still and cool dark night it is for San Juan.

As I put my ear to the door I feel a slightly salty breeze pushing its way in through the double wide sliding glass doors of the balcony. The balcony that sits five floors up and has rusty white paint chipped burglar bars. Dutifully doing their job night after night. Keeping out any brave would be robber who thinks he's half spiderman.

Rolling a whisp of honey brown hair between my fingers I wishfully think of the peephole I never had installed, and could kick myself. At the time it didn't seem pressing with very little activity in the building. With only two apartments per floor there's not a lot of coming and going that happens anyway. I once reassured myself.

Taking a deep breath I slowly slide the three dead bolts out of place. Opening the door a tiny smidgin, a crack of bright yellow light cuts through the living room. Emboldened I bravely attempt to open the door wide. To my horror, instantly the door meets with solid resistance and forcefully pushes against me. Shoving me back inside I harshly fall sprawling onto the splintered hardwood floor. As soon as the door slams, I scamble back to my feet and ram the three dead bolts back into place.

My heart hammers so hard I can hear what sounds like the roar of the ocean in my ears. I run as fast as I can back to the false safety of my bed. Creating a cocoon with the blankets I crazily debate waking Javier, who is still resting in peace. Slowly my racing heart returns to its familiar rhythm and the sound of the roaring ocean fades away. I convince myself it was all nothing. The bolts are secure and no one can enter. Right before I fall back to restless sleep the fleeting thought floats into my mind. Perhaps I should warn Javier, but sleep imparts its magic and off I float to sweet unawareness.