A couple had two cats. They were taking a trip out of the country for about three weeks and needed someone to watch the house and care for the cats. They engaged a young man who was preparing for his tests toward his teacher’s certification. The couple thought he would be a perfect house sitter, as he was a large fellow, tall and strong. He would seem a little intimidating to passersby, even though, as a “dog person” he was not particularly comfortable with cats. He had proven himself to be reliable as a houseguest and the couple was happy when he agreed to guard their home and look after their beloved pets.

Things were rolling along smoothly until about 2 weeks into the trip, when the couple received an email. The young teacher had arisen early that morning, fed and watered the cats, and decided to step outside to cut a banana off the tree for his breakfast. Click! A breeze shut the backdoor and it automatically locked. The front door had not yet been opened, so it was locked as it had been the night before. None of this would have been a calamity, except for a tiny detail. The young teacher had not yet got dressed. He was standing on the porch of the upstairs apartment - in his boxer shorts.

As a student teacher, he held a certain status in the community and did not think it was appropriate to go around the neighborhood in his underwear asking for help. What if a student saw him!? He sat on the porch to think what to do, when who should appear but the fellow who lived in the downstairs apartment coming home from his all night job. Stone tired and wanting nothing more than to kiss his wife and go to sleep, he offered to help the young teacher. The apartment was very secure with metal grates on the windows and deadbolt locks on the doors. It took the men a couple of hours to break in, but they were at last successful. The email the couple received said: “New door beautiful. Cats are fine. I’m off to school. Please bring gift for neighbor.”