Special Delivery

Tonya had been delivering mail to the same neighborhood for over 20 years.  Each morning, she got up at 5 am and made it to work just as her mail was ready to be sorted into the bins that put it in order for her to deliver. She would then load up her cart and begin the 6 mile daily walk that put her in touch with the entire population of her neighborhood.

Sometimes, if the weather was good and the load was light and she was ahead of her schedule, she stopped to talk with residents on her route and trade information on what was going on in the small town. She had come to care for “her people” over the years.

Dreaming as a young girl, this was not the life she had envisioned for herself, but it was a good life.  She worked hard, made enough to pay the bills, but she had always dreamed of really helping people and making a difference in the world.  Instead, she was just part of the background of her small town, the daily mail carrier, a job she felt had little impact to the world.

There was, however, the satisfaction of a job well done.   While not glamorous, it was a good feeling to be a part of the community.  She knew almost everyone on her route by name and was always willing to help out with a missing package or a lost dog.

The one home that stymied her efforts at getting to know the occupants was number 12 Shady Lane.  That house was an enigma.  It seemed almost eerie and unwelcoming.  The house was always dark, even during the day, and the curtains were always drawn.  Tonya had never seen the residents of the house, and she had never seen any cars or other vehicles coming or going from the property.  But the mail was always taken in from the mailbox, so someone had to be living there.

Tonya started to take notes in her pocket notebook about things she saw that bothered her about the house. She noted that the grass was overgrown and the weeds were sending grasping tendrils all through the flower beds. The gutters were choked full of leaves, loose tree branches hung like broken bones from the big maple tree in the front yard and the windows were sadly dirty with grime.  Whoever was getting the mail had no interest in keeping the house maintained and it showed.

Tonya also noticed that the windows of the house seemed to have padlocks keeping them closed and there were two lock mechanisms on the front door.  She began to suspect that something was wrong; were the locks there to keep someone out of the house or to lock someone in?

After filling several pages of her book with her observations of the house, Tonya decided to call her friend Gary, who was a police officer. She told him about her suspicions, but he didn't seem to take her seriously. Gary told her that she was probably just imagining things, and that there was probably nothing to worry about, mentioning that lots of people like living without a lot of human contact and that wasn’t against the law.

Tonya was disappointed, but she didn't give up. She continued to make observations about the house, and she started to gather other evidence. She slyly took pictures of the window locks and the extra padlocks on the doors. She also took pictures of the overgrown yard and the neglected trees and flower beds.

Finally Tonya brought all of her new evidence and observations to her friend, the police officer. This time, he was more willing to listen. He agreed to make contact with the residents of the house and conduct a “welfare check”, just to be sure nothing untoward was happening in the house.

The police officer went to the house and knocked on the door. No one answered. Gary tried the doorknob, but it was locked. He peered through the windows, and the condition of the house raised his hackles too.  The glimpses he could get through the edge of the curtains was of a disheveled room, trash on the floor and other signs of problems.  

Gary called for backup. A few minutes later, a team of officers arrived. They used a crowbar to pry the front door off it’s hinges to gain entry.   And what they found elevated their opinion of Tonya from ordinary mail carrier to super sleuth!

The officers entered the house and found an elderly woman chained to a couch in the living room. She was frail and thin, and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She was also covered in bruises.  At the end of the couch was a bucket that apparently had served as her bathroom since she could reach the bathroom because of the chain.  The smell of ammonia and waste was intense.

The woman told the officers that her name was Franny and that she was being held prisoner in the house by her caregiver, Janiel. The caregiver had started out wonderfully, she said, taking good care of Franny and building her trust.  But then Franny had discovered money missing from her account and realized that Janiel had been stealing her money and other belongings, like her jewelry. After she confronted Janiel, the good care stopped and she was chained up and physically abused to get more information about her assets.  

The officer’s first action was to get Franny to the hospital. She was treated for her injuries and malnutrition, and she was eventually reunited with her family, who were shocked at the story.

Then the police officers fixed up the front door and set up to wait for Janiel’s return. When Janiel unlocked the door, she was quickly taken into custody and read her rights.  

Tonya was relieved that Franny had been rescued. She was also proud of herself for not giving up on her deductions. She had used her observations and her detective skills to rescue someone from torture and save a woman's life. At that point, Tonya realized that even lowly mail carriers can make a difference in the world.

Both Gary and his Sargent thanked Tonya for her help.  They told her that she was a valuable asset to the police department and praised her persistence in getting to the truth.  A few months later, Tonya attended a ceremony and was given a Citizen Recognition award for her heroic actions.  Even her childhood dreams couldn’t compare with the smile Franny bestowed on her as she accepted the award.