Going Home

The whole truth

I had an odd experience on the way home from work Wednesday night that got me to thinking about race relations in the Metropolitan Detroit area.

I stopped at the B&P Station on the corner of Harper and 8 Mile Road, about a mile from where I live, for a bottle of wine. A little stressed out by the day, I needed a glass of Merlot to calm my nerves before bed.

When I walked into the B&P, there was a bit of a commotion. A young African-American woman was on a cell phone, crying uncontrollably. In between sobs, she was trying to tell her father that her car had been towed and she had no way home.

[More:]

I got my wine, paid for it, then walked out the door. Immediately, I felt a sense of guilt and went back in. When the woman finished the conversation with her father, I asked her if she needed a ride home. She shook her head yes and followed me out to my mini-van.

Before we pulled out of the parking lot, I found out that she, Erica, was from Detroit's Westside. She and her sister were out drinking, got lost and ended up in Grosse Pointe Woods. Police officers pulled the two over, arrested Erica's sister for drunken driving and impounded the car.

Erica talked to herself quite a lot during our drive down I-94. She kept calling herself stupid, wondered aloud why she had such lousy judgment. At one point, she questioned the existence of God.

I allowed her to use my cell phone to call home again and am pretty sure the person who answered was her father. Erica went into a rage during the conversation, denied responsibility for her car being impounded, called the police officers who pulled her over "white bitches."

After saying this, she put a hand over the mouthpiece of the phone, looked toward me and said, "No offense."

"None taken," I responded.

I was being truthful; I wasn't offended. But I was more than a little angry at the story Erica attempted to feed her father.

Erica, who completely understood she was her own worst enemy on this night, was spinning a tale to her family that blamed racism for her troubles, which was far from the truth and would only further fuel a fire that doesn't need anymore gasoline poured on it.

After Erica got off the phone with her father for the second time, she placed a call to her grandmother. Grandma, however, didn't answer.

"Buzzed out her mind," as Erica put it, it took her quite a while to direct me to her home. When we finally got to her street, she had me drop her off a few doors down from her house. She told me that she was afraid her father was going to beat her.

I was shaken by the whole incident, looked for meaning in it the entire drive home.

Then my telephone rang. It was Erica's grandma calling back. She got my number from caller ID and wanted to know if I was the man who had driven Erica home.

Hesitantly, I said yes.

"God bless you," she said.

In the end, I think Erica's grandmother knew the truth: Her granddaughter was responsible for the woes of the evening and a white man had driven her home.

Truth.

We all need to be truthful with ourselves and others to make it better.

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: dennis [Member]

wasnt the hardware store up on van dyke called du-all owned by brothers, that was in the same block with ozers, the bakery, temorowski drug store
wick, havent heard from you in awhile, everything ok with you?
the whole truth:
that was a really nice thing to do giving that woman a ride home, at least the grandmother was grateful for getting the woman home safely
in this day it would be a hard thing for me to pick someone up & give them a ride home you never know who you could be giving a ride to, just be careful, being a kind person could get you into some trouble
donna s

Permalink 12/21/07 @ 07:45

Comment from: cantoniceblue [Member]

that was a blessing! but i wonder about this young lady ,she got in the car with a stranger she knew
nothing about. HUM''that in it self show what kind of judgment she really have, and you took a chance.
to by giving her a ride. i have a grand-daughter about that age, what i mean is she over(20) i would hope
she would have more sense than to drink and drive. also to get in a car with someone she know nothing
about. this young woman should thank GOD for sending a angle like you into that station. i as a grand-
mother would like TO THANK YOU FOR BEING AN ANGLE IN THE NIGHT!!. for this young woman.
''MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
CANTONICEBLUE'''

Permalink 12/21/07 @ 08:11

Comment from: leeharding [Member]

I think I would have done the same thiing, Michael, and then have to listen to my Dad say I was stupid for taking her home and I could have gotten myself killed. I think the good Catholic education we received from Holy Name is still instilled in us. Now, I know who to call in any time of need. Merry Christmas, Michael.

Permalink 12/21/07 @ 08:56

Comment from: d.p. [Member]

I tell you, it seems like I learn something everyday from this blog.

Until yesterday, I never knew Roje's real name, first or last.

By the way, I enjoyed reading the "rebel" post, even though I didn't know the guy who made it. (It turns out my sister was also a HN '65 grad.) The hood had its share of "interesting" people and not everyone played sports.

Permalink 12/21/07 @ 11:03

Comment from: zona de surf [Member]

ddd

Permalink 12/21/07 @ 18:32

Comment from: michael of nuernberg [Member]

The old neighborhood, with its urban decay, went from resembling a pumpkin tooth smile to a full Kentucky grin.
Mike Thomas HNS 66

Permalink 12/30/07 @ 09:45

Comment from: missy4500 [Member]

That was very nice of you....God Bless you....And Happy New Year!!!!

Permalink 12/31/07 @ 12:19

Comment from: Jim Morey(Kustarz) [Member]

well, lucky for him(Mike),his "life partner" is his wife. Im very happy to hear him to refer to her as such, as opposed to many other things that he could call her.

Permalink 12/31/07 @ 16:28