Fiction

By Ashlie Rodriguez

      

My bookbag began to weigh the moment I stepped out of school, and it seemed to only grow heavier with each minute that went by.

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I thanked the driver as I made my way down the last steps of the 252 bus. The first of a daily, two-part journey ended, and I was almost home. The last stop was still a little over a mile away from my house, so I had to complete my trek by foot.

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Now, I wasn’t in the best neighborhood, and I learned a long time ago it was best to keep your head down while walking through it. Curiosity wasn’t the most admired virtue where I came from.

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But looking back now, a bit of situational awareness would have been rather useful that day.

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As I walked, I put on my head- phones and began my daily routine of mindlessly scrolling through my music. By the time I looked up, I realized I was approaching two men standing by the sidewalk. I trudged ahead and tried my best to avoid eye contact, but my attempts proved fruitless when I heard a loud “Hey!” right as I walked past them. I reflexively winced at his harsh tone and turned to meet his eyes for the first time. They stood looking me up and down for what seemed like forever. The taller of the two had a sarcastic smile on his face. I was at a loss for words, but even if I had known what to say, I couldn’t muster the courage to speak.

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 “We’re gonna need to borrow a couple of bucks.”    

 

He said it nicely enough, but I knew better than to think this was optional.      

 

Before I had a chance to respond, the other stepped closer and was now in my face, reminding me not to lie. All they needed, after all, was a twenty.

 

“I wasn’t that lucky.” 

 

With shaking hands, I reached for my wallet, knowing its contents but hoping that it somehow wouldn’t be there, that I had left it at home or that it had fallen into the depths of my backpack.      

 

I wasn’t that lucky.      

 

There, peeking out of the envelope, was a crisp 100 dollar bill. It was a birthday gift, and I carefully planned how I would spend it for weeks. 

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“We have change,” the man told me.

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Of course they do.    

 

 I sighed.     

 

I stared at the envelope, knowing what was coming next. And sure enough, they yanked it from me and walked away. What’s worse yet is that they didn’t even pretend to run — just strolled, until I finally realized I wasn’t getting my money back. 

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I stood there, defeated.      

 

And then I saw him.      

 

An old man witnessed the crime. He saw the whole thing go down. He approached me and asked if I’d just been mugged.      

 

“They said they only needed a twenty, but they took the entire bill.”      

 

“I’ll speak to them.” I watched as he approached the men and made up a story about me not having any money to go home. Strangely enough, it worked. Although they didn’t return the whole 80 dollars, they sent back 50.      

 

I was just happy to have not been left with nothing. I smiled at my savior as he came back to me, but before I could begin to express my gratitude, he abruptly asked where I was going.      

 

“Home.”      

 

“How far away is that?”      

 

“About a half mile from here.”      

 

He smiled at me. I reached out my hands, all the while praising the man for his kindness.      

 

“It’s my pleasure. I checked to make sure the whole amount is here,” he said, and with that, he walked off.    

 

 I stood there, dumbfounded, watching the man’s gait as I tried to process what had just happened. I thanked God for the man’s goodwill, and vowed to be more like him: helping others in their time of need, with no expectation of reward  or compensation. There’re still good people out there.      

 

My eyes followed the man until he was out of sight. I then looked down and carefully opened the envelope, ready to revel in my good fortune  —  only to realize he just gave me a single. 

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