by Jennifer Ospici

Id left the house for only half an hour， to go to the bank， but as soon as I got home， I knew something was wrong. There was a motorbike on the drive and， as I got out of my car， I could hear its engine still running， but no one was around. I live alone， next to quite a busy road， but I hadnt been expecting anyone. There are lots of entrances to my house， and I checked to see if any were open. At the back， I found smashed windows. This is the house I grew up in. I returned to it 16 years ago， from Belgium， after my husband died， wanting a secure home for our two daughters. Its surrounded by woodland but Ive never been fazed by the isolation. Now， however， I was going to have to act alone. The thought didnt worry me. Im in my 60s but Ive never been fitter， and Ive certainly never felt physically inferior to anyone， male or female. It just never occurred to me to get back in the car and drive away. Although there was nothing of great value in the house， the idea of someone entering uninvited 2）incensed me—I wanted them gone.

我出門才只有半小時，去了趟銀行，剛剛回到家門口，就發(fā)覺哪里不對勁了。車道上停著一輛摩托車，我下車時就能聽到摩托車的引擎還在運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)，但是周圍空無一人。我一個人住，家靠近熙攘的馬路，此時我明明沒約人到我家里來。房子有許多入口，當(dāng)我檢查看是否有打開的門窗時，在房子后面發(fā)現(xiàn)了被打碎的窗戶。我是在這所房子里長大的。十六年前，我丈夫去世后，我從比利時回到這里，因為為了我們的兩個女兒，我想要一個安全的家。房子周圍樹木環(huán)繞，但我從未因為這種隔離而感到煩惱。現(xiàn)在，我卻要獨(dú)自面對，不過我并不擔(dān)心這種情況。我六十幾歲，但我的身體棒極了，我從未覺得自己在體能上比任何人差，無論是男性還是女性?；氐杰?yán)锶缓箅x開——這種想法我從未有過。雖然家里并沒什么特別值錢的東西，但是一想到不請自來的人，我就怒火中燒——我要讓他們離開。

So I quietly unlocked the front door， went inside and listened. I could hear an intruder in the top of the house， moving around noisily. I walked back outside and pushed the motorbike， which went down with a crash， the engine cutting out as it flooded.“Thatll make your life more difficult，” I thought， as I returned inside. Making no attempt to be quiet this time， I went over to the 3）mantelpiece and took down the 4）rifle that hung above it. Its always been there—my parents were collectors. It was an ancient， harmless specimen， but I wanted to feel its weight as I stood downstairs and waited.

Someone appeared then， at the top of the stairs， wearing a motorcycle helmet. But he wasnt alone. There was a second helmeted man with him， carrying a 5）rucksack. I hadnt expected two. Gripping the rifle tightly， I spoke clearly and calmly—saying that Id called the police. It was a bluff—the council had dug up the landline for repairs， and I rarely get mobile coverage. The first man came down the stairs and I swung the rifle as he closed in， bashing him around the legs. The second wasnt far behind—I grabbed at the rucksack as he drew level， but he pushed roughly past. Knowing they werent likely to get far， I went back out of the front door， still carrying the rifle.

The two men picked up the motorbike； one was desperately trying to start the engine. He was shouting， “Push me！ Push me！” at the other. I grabbed him and held on tight， then gave the other a whack with the rifle. He 6）snatched the gun out of my hand and tossed it on to the floor.

Realising they werent going anywhere on the bike， they fled into the woods， taking the rucksack with them. Suddenly unsupported， the heavy machine collapsed on top of me， pinning me to the ground.

Several people drove by without stopping before a lorry slowed and came to a halt in front of the drive. I was still trapped beneath the bike， covered in mud and blood—my hands were bleeding and Id wiped my forehead， so I looked pretty awful. The lorry driver was able to contact the police， who arrived within minutes. Their dogs sniffed out the thieves and their 7）swag pretty quickly. I started to shake a little afterwards—8）adrenaline， probably—and felt a sudden urge to talk to my daughters. They seemed unsurprised Id behaved as I did； Ive always believed in acting instinctively and would certainly have regretted it if Id done nothing.

I was in court when my visitors were sentenced， and got to see them without their helmets. They were both in their 20s， and couldnt stop smiling and sniggering—I think they were embarrassed. One of them received a three-year 9）custodial sentence， the other nine months. I feel sorry for them—seeing them， and hearing their defence， I could see theyd been let down by society and were living on its outskirts. Locking them up certainly wont help. Both men admitted they were terrified when they saw the rifle， and I certainly dont think they meant me any harm. Thieves want to work unnoticed and it was unfortunate for them I came back when I did. The element of surprise gave me 10）the upper hand.

我悄悄地打開前門，走進(jìn)去并支起耳朵聽。我能聽見一名不速之客在樓上動靜很大地四處走動著。我走回屋外，推動摩托車，摩托車轟隆一聲倒地，引擎遇到水熄火了。“這樣一來你想逃就沒那么容易了，”我心想，隨即走回屋里。這次我沒有刻意放輕手腳，我朝壁爐臺走去，取下掛在上面的來復(fù)槍。這支槍一直掛在那里——我的父母是收藏家。這是一支沒殺傷力的古老樣品，但我站在樓下守著的時候，我想感受到它的重量。

隨后有人出現(xiàn)在樓梯頂部，頭戴摩托車頭盔。但并不止一個人。還有另一個戴著頭盔提著帆布包的人跟他在一起。我沒有料到有兩個人。我緊握來復(fù)槍，清晰且平靜地說，我已經(jīng)報警了。這只是虛張聲勢——固定電話線正在市政維修中，而我這里也幾乎沒有移動電話信號。最初見到的那個人走下樓梯，當(dāng)他走近我時，我揮動來復(fù)槍，狠狠地?fù)糁辛怂耐炔?。另一個人也離我不遠(yuǎn)——他走下樓梯時，我一把抓住了他的帆布包，但他使勁推開了我。料到他們應(yīng)當(dāng)走不遠(yuǎn)，我便往前門追了出去，手里一直握著那把來復(fù)槍。

這兩名男子推起摩托車；其中一個拼命地試著發(fā)動引擎。他朝另一個人喊：“推我！使勁推！”我一把抓住他，死命不放手，然后用來復(fù)槍桿往另一個人身上重重一擊。他從我手里搶過來復(fù)槍，把它扔到了地上。

他們意識到摩托車壞了，就帶上帆布包逃進(jìn)了樹林里。突然，摩托車支撐不了自身，這重重的機(jī)器倒在我身上，把我壓在地上。

好幾個人開車經(jīng)過，但是都沒有停車，后來一輛貨車減速并在車道邊停了車。我還被困在摩托車下面，渾身都是泥和血——流血的雙手還擦過額頭，所以我看起來相當(dāng)糟糕。貨車司機(jī)聯(lián)系了警察，警察在幾分鐘內(nèi)就到達(dá)了現(xiàn)場。警犬嗅到了竊賊，因此我們很快就找到了他們和贓物。我后來開始有點(diǎn)發(fā)抖——可能腎上腺素的問題——感到急切地想和我的女兒們說說這段經(jīng)歷。她們并不驚訝我會那么做；我總是相信憑本能去行動，如果我什么也沒做，我肯定會后悔的。