The Door Story

On Mondays and Thursdays I teach ESL to 8 first graders. It has been a challenge, but they are smart and eager to learn. I am not used to teaching other people's children. I am used to doing studies with adults, so this is a stretch for me and a good one. We end up having fun and like I said, they are eager to learn.

On Thursdays, my lessons end at the same time as the kids finish their Russian school. Since it is the same location, it's convenient to pick them up and go home together. Well, last Thursday we were taking our time coming home. We stopped at some "kiosks" on the way to our place to pick up milk and bread. When we got home, we decided to take the elevator (we live on the 3rd floor, but that is one floor less than what we are used to...with no elevator). As we stepped out of the elevator, straight ahead is our steal door with the number "9" on it. We don't live straight ahead. Our entrance is to the left. Number "10" is straight ahead (which is our bedroom since we live in an apartment that used to be two apartments, but that is another story).

My thoughts go from confusion to panic. Did someone break in? Is Yura here? Are Misha and Pasha okay? As I open the inner/apartment door (which does not have a working lock on it), I hear music. I call out for Yura and he is in the living room with the boys. They are fine.

But what happened? The owner came to pick up more of her things. She is usually in a rush, so she asked Yura if he could help her take down some things to the car. Pasha was sleeping and Misha was busy doing something, so he quickly took a load down and ran back up to the apartment. Upon his return, the steel door was closed and Yura couldn't open it. He tried giving instructions to Misha through the door, but to no avail. (Side note: the steel door has a lock on it that is high on the door, but there is also a simple bolt in the middle with another complicated dead bolt at about Misha's eye level.) Misha started crying and this woke up his brother. Pasha started screaming because he didn't know where anybody was. In the meantime, the neighbors have come out to see what is going on. The emergency service place people that Yura called from the neighbor's wouldn't help because he isn't the owner of the flat. Yura tried going through the balcony, but everything was shut tight.

About this time, Misha has cried himself to sleep (he was on the couch by the time Yura got inside). Pasha is screaming at the top of his lungs. Yura is feeling miserable and trying to figure out how to get in. The neighbor dug out a grinder and they cut the hinges on the steel door. The door still wouldn't come off due to some other bolts that were in place. Then the neighborhood handy man finally showed up (after Yura explained on the phone that a baby and a toddler were in the apartment all by themselves). He cut the dead bolt and they were in. It took an hour for Pasha to calm down and I think it took two days for Yura to be inwardly settled. Poor guy.

On Friday they didn't have the welding tool needed. On Saturday, the guy was drunk. So Yura called a private company to come and weld it on. They welded it as flush as they could, but didn't have the tool to shave a bit of the frame to make it fit. This morning (Monday), Yura found the neighborhood guy (who, thankfully, is sober) and he is coming this afternoon to shave the frame and refit the washing machine hose (since he didn't do that correctly the first time).

Never a dull moment, eh? Of course, it is happening during the busiest time for Yura. But that is par for the course. It reminds me (again) that I cannot live this life without Jesus. I don't have the strength! But He is faithful and always takes care of His own. HE NEVER LEAVES US NOR FORSAKES US! Have a blessed day!