Not Me

He wasn’t cute but he looked like a hardworking man with his silver truck and overalls.

His introduction wasn’t original, but it wasn’t disrespectful either.

“No sir, I don’t need a ride. I’m just going to the library up the street.”

She wasn’t really going anywhere she was just looking at butterflies.

“You should go to the Shaker library. It's better. I’m going in that direction. Let me take you. A beautiful young lady like you shouldn’t be walking in all this heat."

She thought to herself well, you only live once and got in the truck. Maybe this guy could be one of the men she was always hearing about that bought nice things for young women. Maybe they could fall in love and get married. She wouldn’t know unless she tried.

During the short ride to the suburban library, he asked her what she liked to do for fun.

She said she wrote poetry. It wasn’t true, it just seemed like a cool thing to say.

It wasn’t hard to embellish. She told him her favorite poet was Maya Angelou. And she like to write about nature. As she heard herself saying the words it sounded like a really good idea.

He was going to the library for a computer class. When he was done, he would take her back home.

Completely plausible.

She didn’t make it to whatever section contained Maya Angelou, instead she picked up a novel about an African girl named Binti who had a space alien for a best friend. The story was so different from anything she had ever read, she almost felt as if books like this had previously been illegal. After about an hour, the man with the silver truck came back to see if she was ready to go back home. She owed too many library fines to check the book out. She wanted to stay, but she was ashamed to tell him.

When they got back in the truck, he told her he needed to go back to his house to pick up some tools before he went on his next job. He told her about his business, and all the problems he had with dishonest employees and deadbeat clients. There was nothing overtly unbelievable about anything he said. His house was only a few blocks from the library.

He invited her in and offered her a drink. She went in the house. The layout was like that of her aunt’s house. He was very talkative. He must have thought she was planning on opening a construction business and needed to hear every little detail. She tried her best to listen and be polite.

Why aren’t you drinking?

She didn’t want the drink

One drink won’t hurt you sweetheart. I’m a good man, I just want you to relax and have a good time. I could be a good man for a girl like you.

The girl was stupid, but she had a few smart friends. One of her friends had told her something very valuable a while back.

People who say "I’m a good man” are very seldom good men.

“I’m ready to go home.”

“Relax a minute, enjoy a drink with me. I’ll take you home later.”

“You don’t have to drive me. I can walk it's not that far. It was nice meeting you.”

“Bitch, you ain’t going nowhere! He spoke with misplaced confidence. She left the house. He didn’t follow her. She wasn’t sure if he would come after her later. What had only 20 minutes ago looked like a lovely suburb suddenly resembled a ghost town. She traveled a few blocks and said a quick prayer. Soon she saw a rusty Mazda containing someone’s harried mama.

As the mom pulled up to the stop sign, the escapee flagged her down and implored, “Can I please use your phone? I have to get from over here."

“What's wrong sweetie?”

“You see that truck up there? I was in that house, and I could barely get out. This man was trying to keep me there.”

“So, you need to go in the opposite direction.”

“Yes Please.”

“Get in. Where are you trying to go? “

“143rd”

When the Mom inhaled again, she could smell the girl's fear. She unlocked her phone, "You should call somebody”

The girl didn’t take the phone.

“Sweetie if a man wants to talk to you, he can talk to you on the phone If he really likes you, He won’t rush you.”

“The girl sighed, "I know, I know. Believe me, I won’t be doing this again.”

It had been years since the older woman had been on 143rd.

There was a lot more garbage than she remembered.

The girl’s aunt was on the porch.

The harried mom doubled back to Walgreens, so she could use the ATM and get her rent money together.