"JY, can you faster come back? Our house has been broken into," LJ cried over the phone.
"Huh? Someone broke into our house?" I half shouted in the bus.
"Ya...Come back quick!"
I could feel my whole body weakened. My first thought was my laptop and cash including the rental for the month. All gone.
I tried to calm myself down and think of what I should do. My whole body's still trembling slightly. I called LJ and asked her to not touch anything in the house. She obeyed and told me my room was safe but SW and her room was burglared. A wave of relief swept over me although the shock I had was still in me.
Irene was probably worried too. She offered to accompany me back. I just nodded and made a call to SW. She said she'll come back immediately too.
Finally, the bus came to a stop and I half ran to my house. The first sight I saw was LJ's coursemates gathered at the porch with LJ crying. I've never seen her cry like that before. She's always the calm one. I gave her a pat and went into the house.
A shaft of light fell on the floor of the living room. I looked up and saw a hole in the roof where the burglars probably came in. Under the hole was a ladder which was supposed to be in the kitchen. The whole place were a mess. The drawers opened. Books, stationary, clothes, papers, pieces of the abestoes ceiling and basically everything were scattered all over the place.
The hole in the roof
Ladder under the hole
I went to the back. The back door was opened. SW, LJ&BP's rooms were none tidier than the living room. The small opening in the ceiling of LJ&BP's room was open too. It's weird. The burglars probably escaped through the back door but where did they come in? The hole in the living room or the opening in LJ&BP's room? Why make the huge hole in the living room if they can just enter through the opening in LJ&BP's room?
The opening in LJ&BP's room opened
SW's room ransacked
Drawers searched
By the time I realise I was back in the living room, WK and SW had returned. The police had also come and were standing in the living room, looking at the damage caused.
SW ran to her room. I could hear her cries of "Gone! Everything's gone!" from the porch.
The police asked us to checked what has been stolen so we went back into the house.
A hammer, a few screws and a screwdriver were on the floor outside my room. I looked at the door of my room. The padlock was still attached to the hasp but the side of the hasp which was fastened to the door frame had been pulled out. Weirder still, the whole door handle had been yanked out too. I figured out the key hole and inserted the key. The key turned halfway and was stuck. I couldn't turn the key at all. The door can't be opened.
On the floor outside my room
Broken hasp
Door handle gone
Seeing that the door can't be opened, one of the police kicked it open. WK, SK and me rushed into the room to check our things. Nothing out of place. Thanks God!! To think my things were just a kick away from being stolen!
I came out of the room and began taking a few pictures of the mess. SK followed suit.
I thought the police are going to check for fingerprints but I'm wrong. They didn't. They just left after taking a few looks at the damage. I did not even realise they were gone.
From the main door, I could see LJ and BP sitting in the living room, devastated. SW was standing at the door of her room, weeping. Irene suggested we list down all the things that has been stolen so I gave them a piece of paper to write down the list. Then most of us headed towards the section 17 police station to report the burglary except WK and SK who offered to wait for the house owner at home with some of their coursemates.
On the way to the police station, I called my next door neighbour to ask if she heard or saw anyone suspicious that afternoon. She replied no but added that there was sound of people knocking at the door coming from my house. (Later on, the other next door neighbour told me the same thing- He heard a door knocking sound. Probably the sound when the burglars tried to open my room.)
The police keyed in a few details and asked us to report again at the Mutiara Damansara Police Station. LJ told me both of the Psychology students who transported us to the police station has already helped a lot and she can't ask more from them.
I called Mich but she said she was not in PJ. So I have no choice but to call either Suesin or KJ. I manage to get to Suesin and he said he can drive us there. But halfway there, BP, who was with her friend on a motorbike, told us there was a traffic jam. Eventually, we had to leave the job to BP while the rest of us returned to the damaged house.
The house owner had arrived with his grandson by now. WK told me she had asked uncle to fix the roof and door as had been requested by me. But she dare not ask uncle to strenghten the security of the house. Sonething under my expectation. In the end, I still have to do this kind of job.
I asked uncle on this request. BP also asked later on and he agreed. (although I'm not sure if he will keep his promise).
The contractor soon came to fix the roof. We watched him demolished the damage piece of ceiling and replaced it with a new one. The sky outside was turning dark.
Most of us had no mood to eat so I share a packet of rice with WK while Boey, our former housemate took the sobbing LJ out. SW left the house to stay with her friends for the night.
So that night, only WK, SK and me stayed at home. LJ and BP went to stay overnight at Boey's house under our suggestion.
We waited for the police to come for another inspection but they were really late. We waited and waited, wishing to take a bath but we could not. We need to clean up the place first and there's no chance we could do that before the police comes.
After a few hours of waiting, the police finally came at around 11.20pm. I was expecting an investigation to look for fingerprints but my, I was wrong! They just asked a few questions, took a few pictures and left. It did not even take them 5 minutes! All the wait for the few pictures. Sigh...
Worse still, they mentioned about fingerprints but still, they picked up the hammer on the floor with bare hands. Imagine that.
When we told them the hammer was from the other room, they put the hammer back to the floor and left with only a screwdriver which, again, they hold with bare hands. Sigh...I wonder if the screwdriver will be of any use now.
After the police left, WK and SK were too tired to clean the place so they took a bath and slept. I was not satisfied. I looked at the floor which was too dirty to be stepped on with bare feet and the mess all over the place. Although tired after all the calls and trips of the day, I was determined to clean up at least the tables and chairs. And I did. I left most of the cleaning for the next day though.
Argh!! Tiring. Imagine having to clean up a place which has been turned upside down. The entire place was dirtier after the roof was fixed. Most of our things were still scattered on the floor and pieces of the demolished ceiling as well as dust covered the whole place.
Some of our stuff turned up at unimaginable places. LJ and BP's clothes turned up on the dining room floor. Our MP4s which were originally in our desk drawers and were found on the living room table along with my housemates' scissors which were broken. SW's shirt ended up at the back door. BP's ATM card and driving license which she thought were stolen were found on her desk, covered by all sorts of things.
LJ and BP's clothes on the dining room floor.
SW's shirt on the ground at the back door
BP's box of accesories filled with dust
I quickly cleaned up the place, hoping by the time LJ and SW returned, the house would be in a better state. I couldn't clean SW's room as it has been locked after she left home so I tidied up the rest of the house with WK and SK's help. Living room, LJ&BP's room, kitchen and dining room. It was certainly not easy but that is all I can do for them. I don't know how I can comfort them. I'm not in the position to do so because I'm the lucky one whose things were not stolen.
Anyway, I hope they'll feel better soon. There are more things I have to do. Have the door of my room fixed, remind uncle to do something for our security and further plans for everyone's security (including discussions of whether to change all the locks).
Sigh...Need a break now. My bones are going to shatter after all those cleaning.
*Thanks to those who have helped!! We really appreciate it.
