My dad, my two brothers, and I got back from Church at around 12 like we do every Sunday. My mom wasn’t with us because she has to attend a meeting in Church, so we went home ahead. I usually bring my Church bag up with me to my room when I change, but this Sunday, our couch downstairs seemed to be calling “sleep on me” that I dozed off for a while. I was called up for lunch, so I left my bag and my sandals downstairs and decided to bring them up and change after I ate.

I forgot about my bag and my sandals until I got up to my room. I was really sleepy and was too lazy to go down two floors, so I decided to put off getting my bag and sandals (even dressing up) until I woke up from my nap.

Big mistake. When I woke up, I looked for my phone and saw my bag already in the living room (second floor). I figured my mom might have brought it up from the guest room (first floor) when she got back from Church. When I opened it, the contents of my bag were messed up. My phone wasn’t there either. I tried remembering if I took it out of my bag, but I clearly remember not taking it out. I borrowed my lola’s phone and dialed my number. What I heard next made me want to faint – SUBSCIBER CANNOT BE REACHED. Oh no. I NEVER turn off my phone, nor go anywhere with it on low battery. I asked my mom if she saw my phone, and told her that it was missing from my bag. Usually, my mom would give me an ordinary “no”, but this time, she seemed a bit worried and stern. I went back up and searched everywhere, and after giving up, my mom told me something that left me pale-faced.

When she got back from Church, she saw that the door was left ajar, and the contents of my bag were scattered in the guest room. She just put everything back in my bag and brought it to the second floor. My mom knows I never leave a mess behind, so we concluded that my phone got stolen. What’s worse is that the robbery happened INSIDE our house.

I started crying when I realized what just happened. Think of it – a robbery inside the comfort of my very own home. To think I was telling my Dad just last Saturday how much I loved my phone no matter how old and rickety it is. I’ve had that phone for three years, and have no plans of changing it at all even if it does have a lot of problems and I’ve dropped it numerous times. I even told him that it’s going to be with me for many years, and now it’s gone.

I don’t ever leave things on the first floor except for shoes. I even carry my laptop and bag full of clothes no matter how sick I am. The temporary guard wasn’t there either, it was his day-off. Of all days, why today? Aside from the worry caused by the loss of all my contacts, messages, pictures, and personal notes there was another worry that I was overcome with – our family’s security. Now that this happened, there’s no telling if this robber would be back. If this person would be back, would we be as lucky to lose just one cellphone?

On the positive side, I’m thankful it was just my phone that got stolen. My money and earrings (which sentimental value being what I wore during my debut) were still in my bag, and nothing else in the house got stolen. As the saying goes, things happen for a reason, and I think I know what this reason is. The theft happened sometime between 12-3, right before my mom got back from Church. If the robber didn’t see my phone immediately, this person might have taken more time to look for something to steal, and my mom might have caught up with him/her inside the house. If the robber saw my mom, who knows what could have happened? I wouldn’t want to think the worst anymore, but that goodness it was just my phone. Also, losing a phone means the coming of a brand new one, so I think you know what I’m thinking. I guess it wasn’t all that bad. It could have been worse, after all.

Starting now, we will ALWAYS lock the door as long as there’s no one keeping watch on the door. Meaning, the door will remain locked even with a permanent guard on duty. My mom will give all of us our own key to the main door so that we can lock and unlock the door when needed. It’s a small sacrifice compared to what could happen in case another robbery happened again.

So what did I learn? I learned that even in our quiet neighborhood, our family’s still vulnerable to thefts. I learned that I have to keep my valuables where I can easily see them. I learned never to rely on my phone alone – I have to keep hard copies of everything important stored in my phone, especially the contacts. I learned how far my parents would go to keep our family safe (trust me, having our own key to the main door wasn’t the most drastic measure they thought of for security). In short, I learned to be more careful.

These are indeed desperate times. Think of the risk this person put in entering private property. Let this serve as a reminder to all of us to never let our guard down. We may not always be as lucky.

To the person who stole my phone, please take care of it. Mamamatay na yan, kaya gawin mo makakaya mo para tumagal pa buhay niyan. You picked the wrong phone to steal, you’d be better off buying a new one that having mine repaired. Sana man lang tinira mo yung sim card ko, tatak La Salle pa naman yun. You have my phone now, so please STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY, YOU JERK.