My mom has a saying, “God takes care of fools and children.”
Today, I fell in the fool category. I was in the car, driving my usual path to and from the house, when this disheveled woman, waved me down. She was dressed decently enough in a long, flowing gold and black dress with an oversized purse hanging on one shoulder. Her face carried a look of panic and desperation.
It was that expression that made me stop.
“I have been robbed,” she cried. “I have no money on me. My car is just down the road. Please can you help me?”
“Did you call the cops,” I asked. It's a perfectly reasonable question.
She nodded, “Yes, and they took a report, but they couldn't give me gas money or a ride.”
Ok, my first warning bell went off. I found it hard to believe that a police officer would just abandon a woman that had just been robbed.
However, I ignored it and let her get into the car. We begun the drive to where her car was parked, which was supposed to be just down the road. Turns out it was more than “just down the road.”
On the drive, I asked her, “So what happened? How did you get robbed? I can't believe the cops didn't help you.”
She looked away, “It happened last night and the cops didn't care. I just can't wait to get into my car and get out of this town.”
Another warning bell went off - Didn't she say she just got robbed?
She goes on to tell me how she was in town to visit her daughter.
“Would you like to call her,” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, she isn't here. She is out of town with her boyfriend. She didn't know I was coming.”
Ok, by now, I am thinking just too many “incidents” here. Then she goes back to rambling about how she just want to take a shower, and get in her car and drive back home. She just needed gas. As we passed a gas station, I ask her if she wanted me to stop.
She goes no. She has enough gas to get to the gas station. She is just asking for $20, and hands me some gold necklace, saying it's worth $200. “Here that's to compensate you. I am not a bum. This dress alone is worth like $150. I just need to get to my car, get a quick shower and then head home.”
While rummaging through her purse to take out the necklace, I notice she has about $10 sticking out the side of her bag.
Yes, at that moment, I was ready to run and get rid of this woman. She was lying. I didn't know why, but my sixth sense told me she had less than honest reasons.
We pull up outside some rundown apartment. “These people have agreed to let me take a shower at their house,” she said.
Then she proceeded to tell me that I can come in or wait until she is done. I took stock of where I was. Three men sat outside. She seemed to know them because they waved to her, and she waved back. The road, while not deserted, was still empty enough to be of concern, and yes, we are in the ghetto - a high crime area.
My heart started to pound double time. Is she for real? “I am not going into some apartment I don't know, and I am not going to sit out here waiting.”
“But..but..I need help. I need gas money, and if you could spare a $20.”
I shook my head. “Tell you what, you take a shower and I will meet you at the gas station and put gas in your car.” Yes, I know…idiot. I have done more than enough to help this woman.
Again the woman shook her head. “No, I don't need that. I have gas. I just need - “
“No,” I replied in a surprisingly steady voice. Even though inside, I was asking myself what the hell did I get myself into. This woman was talking crap, lots of it, and she was doing a lousy job of keeping track of her lies.
She hesitated for a moment, as if thinking it over, and honestly, I don't know where the courage came from, but I held her gaze and repeated, “No, this is all I can do.”
She then got out and walked over to the three men sitting in front. I raced out of there. Yes, I know stupid, stupid, stupid.
