It was a dark and stormy night, no, not really, but Snoopy when he is writing on his doghouse always starts his story that way. I thought I'd give it a try lol.
Geez, I was younger when I met this guy. I was visiting my mom, dad was still alive too. Brad couldn't come up with us, but he was going to fly and meet us, he was on a business trip, then drive back down with me. My family had this thing about me driving alone with the kids, I got enough flak for driving up without him. Anyway I had to go to LaGuardia to pick him up. There was tons of road construction going on and there were detours galore. I was doing alright, but after one turn I got really turned around. Let me further date myself by saying there was no GPS readily available either. I kept turning thinking I had it figured out, and then I looked around. *gulp* I wasn't in Kansas anymore Toto. Not even remotely close. Holy smokes, I was in a pretty rough area. I kept driving, hoping I didn't hit any red lights, hoping I could find my way out, but it was not to be. So I did what any good Catholic girl does when she's scared, I prayed. "Dear Lord, send me a guardian angel. I have my kids with me and I am so lost"...as luck would have it I hit a red light. I was scared and confused and trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do. In front of me was this big, black Mercedes with windows so dark you couldn't see through them. Suddenly someone got out of this car. I vividly remember my heart racing, ready to fly out of my chest, he looked a lot like Biggie Smalls
but really tall, he was wearing all black, a black hat, leather duster, the whole nine yards, he was pimping it hard and at that precise moment as I am thinking all of this, he walked to my window and knocked on it. Let's see if anyone can guess what happened next....insert the Jeopardy theme here....Did I pass out? Scream? Open my window? Inquiring minds want to know.
I opened my window and blurted out, before he could say anything, "I'm lost, could you please help me?" Maybe it was the pathetically small voice I asked in, maybe it was the the tears in my eyes, maybe it was Katheryn (all of one or two) baldish, small and pink in the back seat smiling and waving like a maniac at my new found friend. But his face broke into a smile. You know you look out of place in a neighborhood when the guy in front of you gets out of his car to ask you if you're lost. He tried to tell me how many turns back I needed to make, I tried to keep up, but he finally said, "follow me". I ask you again, what did I do? Did I take that leap of faith? Did I say, No, I have your directions I'm fine? Survey says.....I took a leap of faith and followed him.
I kept asking myself if I was crazy as we drove. This guy could be leading me anywhere, kill me, my two girls and no one would ever know. I didn't have a cell phone back then either. He lead us down this narrow road, there was a basketball court on one side surrounded by a chain link fence and on the other side was a graffiti covered building with cars parked along side of it. There was the car in front of me I was following and a car behind. Suddenly the car I was following jerked to a halt. This is it I thought, I am trapped, no where to drive to get away, I am done for. My eyes got all welly, I heard myself telling my girls it would be ok, we would get to daddy soon trying to keep my voice from shaking. Then I saw that a car in front of my black Mercedes had stopped and kids were pouring out of the car running towards mine, GEEBUS CRIPES, I'M GONNA GET KILLED BY A BUNCH OF KIDS WITH BASKETBALLS....Oh, wait, they ran past my car, through the opening in the fence around the basket ball court and started dribbling away. We started driving again. About five minutes later my Mercedes stopped one more time. Biggie got out again, came over to my window and said, "turn at that light and you will see the signs for the terminals. Be safe in your travels my sister, God bless you". I shook his outstretched hand with both of mine, and thanked him profusely, but really I don't think I could possibly convey how truly grateful I was. Then he tipped his hat at me, walked over to his Mercedes and drove away.
Don't know how I got so lost, but I will never forget that man in his black Mercedes. Whenever I remember him I thank God for sending me the coolest looking Guardian Angel ever. I pray for him, his family although I don't know who I am praying for.
Makes me think of a line from a Billy Joel song, So many faces in and out of my life, some will last, some will be now and then.................and some will be Guardian angels, in black leather that you never forget.
2 comments:
Wow I could feel your fear Dee just reading about your adventure. I always keep in mind this women that approached me in the grocery store parking lot. I had just finished shopping and had loaded up my car. Cheyanne was about 3 or 4. A women came up to me, she was probably in her mid 20s and looked a little worn out. She was crying and said no one would help her. She was living with her kids out of there car and she had no money and no food. I only had $12 left in my purse, so I gave it to her and then fished through my grocery bags for some granola bars and I think cereal. She was so grateful. I hugged her and said "may God bless you". I don't think she was bluffing because she smelled a little bad, like she needed to bathe. I felt so bad for her. I think of her every once in awhile and always wonder if she ever got out of that situation. I hope she did.
You know Debbie, my 9 year old said something rather profound to me in the car the other day when I handed our fresh dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts out the window to one of those corner panhandlers whose sign read Hungry, please help. I mused aloud, I wonder if this woman is for real, if she's really hunger or just bluffing. Heather said to me, "mom, even if she's lying you did it for the right reason" and you know she's right.
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