I had dropped Rose off at her book group meeting. The book up for discussion was Paradise by Abdulrazal Gurnah, a story of a 15-year-old boy sold into slavery to settle his father’s debt to his brother. Yusuf now worked for his uncle, a merchant with a store and a prosperous caravan that traveled around the area. She loved it and is passing it around to family and friends now.
Episode 27 – Desperate and Caring
This was a couple weeks of before Valentine’s Day, which allowed me to shop for something that Rose would enjoy as a present from me. I always try to get her something she’ll love, a token of love . . . sometimes a bright and shiny token of love, or tasty, dark chocolates that tickles the nose and the taste buds. In other words, I was walking towards heaven and the family-owned Johnson’s Candy, operating in Tacoma since 1925. I left my car about a block away on the other side of People’s Park.
It was a cold day of course and my mind was elsewhere. I hadn’t seen the young man who must have stepped out from nowhere. I heard him clear his throat as I turned my head slightly and saw a sad case. He had a bald head and was wearing a brown collarless shirt and jeans. I would have looked him over a bit more, but stopped the inspection when I saw the open knife.
“Slowly reach for your wallet and give me a ten-dollar bill.” Actually, the knife said it all, but the exact figure threw me off my stride a little bit. I just stared at him. “You shouldn’t even be in this area. All my people are being run out of here with the new apartments and stuff. I’m just asking for ten dollars . . . and you won’t get hurt.”
I looked him in the eye and said, “I don’t have ten dollars. I have a five and some quarters but I have no money in my wallet.” I could see him swallow hard a couple of times, while he thought things over. We were in the open, so we both knew he needed to be moving more quickly.
“Okay, I’ll take the five. Keep your quarters.” I nodded. I took off my right knitted glove and reached slowly into my coat pocket and pulled out my closed hand. His eyes darted back and forth between my face and my hand. He opened his palm and I placed my five and a ten dollar roll of quarters into it. He stood there frozen and then looked up at me. I said, “Here are my gloves as well” as I handed them over. “One size fits all.” He turned and walked away with his stolen goods, then stopped and turned around. “Thank you,” he said . . . and he was gone.
I continued towards Johnsons with my heart thumping in my chest. I collected my thoughts and entered the store. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The scent of chocolate revived me. Rose loves dark chocolate, so I got several different concoctions and a red heart assorted box of Valentine sweetness. I like chocolates, but I really enjoy the licorice, which I added just for me. As I paid with my credit card, I told the cashier to add another thirty dollars on the bill. “If a young man comes in wearing a brown collarless shirt and tries to pay with a roll of quarters, help him pay with my thirty-dollars change. Give him something nice. If he doesn’t show, help someone else with the thirty.”
c. 2023 Don and Peg Doman
You got me with the title. I am old enough to remember “real radio” and the show “Five Minute Mysteries.” One of the “Golden Days of Radio” memories.
I wonder if the mugger will kill the next “victim “ . Giving money to a life threatening mugger may make you feel like you’re “helping “ but how is that?
How is this guy not going to be emboldened by his success with you? I’m appalled at your attitude with this. Next time it might be Rose he stops with his knife. How are you going to feel when he attacks her? What if next time it’s not money he wants when he stops your wife or someone else’s wife? He clearly thinks he’s being “run out of there” as you put it. He obviously doesn’t care about other people, or he would not be threatening your LIFE FOR TEN DOLLARS!
wait till you see this guy in the news for raping or murdering some nice lady because she screams instead of gleefully handing over her cash like you did.
Are you going to pat yourself on the back then too?
Your blasé attitude about a knife holding mugger is absolutely appalling.
This liberal outlook of yours is the problem, not the solution.
Andrew,
Obviously, the attacker didn’t seem that much of a threat. Reading people is one of the ways for reaching people. I think perhaps, you are reading too much into the attacker. Sorry, if the story offended you.
Don
I’m afraid that I would have reacted exactly as you did. Obviously that young man was not about to knife you if you didn’t give him any money but clearly he was desperate. In fact if I had more money I would have given him more. You are a good man and did the right thing and I am an 89 year old lady.
Perhaps if you spend some time listening to victims of violence from muggers in Tacoma you’d feel differently. Peoples lives and loved ones literally stolen away in an instant by people making extremely bad decisions due to mental illness or drugs.
Did you read his article? What about the part where the guy said give him ten dollars “or you won’t get hurt”
Think that’s acceptable behavior do you?
You’re absolutely right about one thing. You WOULD have given him more money if you’d have been there, and absolutely you may have given him the rest of your life, if anything would have happened differently.
Your entitled to your opinion, but I certainly hope you’re a huge supporter of law enforcement or you would absolutely be a victim at the mercy at anyone who felt like a bad decision at the time, any time, you leave your house.
Andrew,
I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy the story. I’ve worked with local law enforcement before and know what many people are capable of, but that doesn’t mean targeting any one starving or trying to help his marriage or family is evil. What would you have done if this had happened to you? Refused? Turned and run? Taken him to church? It is too bad you didn’t like the story, but remember, it was only a story . . . actually one that might be given as a parable . . . but still . . . just a story.
Don
Patricia,
I agree. When I wrote the character, I saw a young man who was scrambling for help for himself and his wife and possibly his family.
Thanks, for writing.
Don
Hey, to the nay sayers — the point of the story is not about tolerating or rewarding criminals. The point is there is a crisis in america called homelessness. There are people who are desperate. The protagonist wants to help and wants to send the message that people care. Spin your cynicism elsewhere and find a more acceptable way to open your own wallet. Poverty, hunger, lack of shelter and hopelessness are the enemy— fight that battle! Don, your story brought tears to my eyes.