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Rate This Contest Entry: Contest: June 30th, 2005 Author: Larkin Huey As I was on my way home one brisk December morning after working the night shift in the Emergency Room, I saw a young woman holding a baby and standing in the freezing rain on the side of the deserted street that ran in front of the hospital. When I got near her, she clung to the baby with one arm, put her free hand up and waved desperately at me. Although my husband told me to never pick up hitchhikers, he certainly wasn’t talking about her. There was such a forlorn look on that poor woman’s face that I knew instantly she was approaching her breaking point. I slowed the car cautiously to avoid splashing her and that precious baby with a dirty puddle of ice-cold rain water, and stopped my car with the passenger door directly in front of her. She opened it and got in, shivering. The woman was very appreciative and quickly let me know it. “Oh, thank you so much,” she said as she closed the door, “I just didn’t know how I was going to make it if you hadn’t stopped. There hasn’t been a car along here in thirty minutes.” “Oh, you shouldn’t have worried so much,” I said as we headed back out onto the wet street, “There’s about to be a street full of cars here very shortly. The staff at that hospital right there where I work, just got off for the day. Any of them would have been glad to help you out.” “Oh yeah, I see that now, it is a hospital. I hadn’t really noticed where I was,” she paused for a few seconds while she collected her thoughts, then continued, “Hey look, anyway, I’m just glad you came along when you did. I was about to give up all hope.” “I know what you mean, it’s cold out there, and the rain too, you know, it’s a wonder you didn’t float away,” I laughed, “But don’t worry about it, you’re okay now,” I paused, knowing I had just met a new friend, “By the way, my name’s Barbara, what’s yours?” “I’m Cathy,” the woman responded, “And it was awfully nice of you to stop. You’ll never know how much I appreciate this.” “Oh yes, I know more about that than you think I do, Cathy. I’ve totally been in your shoes, and it wasn’t that long ago.” There was a long pause during which I thought she would respond to that statement, but she never did. As we drove along together, she squinted through the windshield, then continuously turned and peered out the side windows, like she was looking for something. I spoke up just to relieve my own uneasiness at the unexpected silence. “Where do you need to go, Cathy? Is it somewhere around here? You know, I’m off for the day, and if it’s not too far, I’ll be happy to drive you there.” “I need to go to the bus station,” she said as she reached inside the blanket and started fumbling with the baby, “But I’m not sure exactly where it is. I thought it was somewhere around here.” “No, it’s downtown. I know exactly where it is,” I turned toward her and spoke reassuringly, “Don’t worry, we’ll get you there.” As I faced forward again, I saw an old muffler lying in the road directly in front of us. I swerved to miss it, but my right front tire caught the edge of the muffler and ripped a hole in the side of it. The hissing of air preceded the bumping and rumbling of the flat that was now flapping against the wet pavement. She jerked her hand out of the blanket and clutched the baby tightly as I wrestled with the vibrating steering wheel. We were on a city street and not going very fast, so I was able to quickly regain control of the car. “Oh man!” I exclaimed as I slowed and drove the wobbling car cautiously onto the wet, grassy shoulder and stopped, “I can’t believe it, a flat tire. Wouldn’t you know it?” Immediately after I said that, and seemingly out of nowhere, two city cops pulled up behind us and turned on their blue lights. What a sight those guys suddenly were! “Yay!” I said, “We’re saved; the police are here,” I turned toward her, smiled, and spoke emphatically, “Let me tell you, people say there’s never a cop around when you need one, but as you can see, that’s not always true. I knew there was some reason I picked you up,” I smiled at her. A timely rescue by the local cops didn’t seem to relieve her though, in fact, she became more agitated than ever. The woman quickly opened the door of the car and began struggling, holding the baby in one arm and trying desperately to get the seatbelt off with her free arm. She got out just as the policemen walked up on each side of the car. “Hi,” the officer nearer to her said, “You ladies seem to be . . . ” he paused in mid sentence and smiled, then began nodding his head with an omniscient look on his face, “So, there you are. We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Drop that baby and turn around, Cathy,” he paused and smiled, “You know the procedure.” “What!” I said dramatically. My face had taken on a look of shock and dismay at the officer’s statement, but his partner began explaining the situation. This woman’s ruse was to stop unsuspecting women in their cars, especially in front of hospitals where mostly care givers work, and use their inherent compassion for people to get them to stop and assist a poor helpless mother in distress. Nobody, and especially not a nurse with kids of her own, could resist a mother and her baby standing out in the cold rain. Reality stared me in the face when the policeman unrolled the baby’s blanket to reveal my true situation. When he opened it, I realized that when Cathy was fumbling inside the blanket with the baby and I swerved to miss that muffler, she was about to do what she came here to do. Let me tell you what was wrapped up inside that baby blanket: a doll . . . and a loaded gun. people have rated it so far. is the current average. |
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