A Walk on the Wild Side

I was visiting my family in Baltimore, Md. and decided to check out one of the thrift shops, where you can always find a bargain. My sister-in-law Tova, dropped me off with strict instructions to call her when I was finished shopping. She knew I wasn’t familiar with the way home.

I spent an enjoyable hour browsing and found a couple of cute items for the kids. After paying the saleslady, I asked if I could use her phone. Tova’s line was busy. I waited a few minutes and tried again. Still no luck. I stood there gazing out the shop window, admiring the huge trees lining this pretty block of old homes. It was a beautiful autumn afternoon. What a nice day for a walk, I thought. Why trouble my sister-in-law? I have a good sense of direction; I can find my way back.

I said thank-you and goodbye and walked out the door.

What fun to be on holiday! What fun to have a bit of adventure! I walked down the street in the direction we had come, enjoying the manicured gardens and pretty porches I passed. I took a right and then a left, confident I was retracing the route Tova had driven. It had only been a ten-minute ride.

After a while, however, I started getting nervous. Suddenly, nothing looked right. And the scenery was definitely changing. I was beginning to see abandoned concrete apartments and empty parking lots. Lots of broken windows and litter on the sidewalk.

This is not good, I thought. This is not a neighborhood I should be in. The sun was about to set and I began mentally kicking myself for my foolishness. With no phone and no idea where I was, I felt completely vulnerable.

And then it got worse. As I passed a corner, I spotted a group of tough-looking men leaning against a building. They were smoking and laughing and holding bottles of beer. They saw me and stared. Obviously I looked completely out of place with my long skirt and headscarf, not to mention my skin color.

Well this is it, I thought. (I reflected that my last words in this world had been thank you and goodbye.)

I tried to stay calm. Either I will get out of this or I won’t. That’s up to God. But what I can do is try to connect with these guys. I can approach them with confidence and respect. I walked right up with a big smile on my face. “Hello!” I said.  “You guys look like you know your way around! Can you help me? I was walking home but now I’m completely lost and I feel like a total fool. Thank God you’re here!”

“Honey, we’re all fools,” one of them said. “Don’t you worry about it.”

“Where you need to get to?” asked another guy. I gave them the name of my brother’s street and they decided to walk with me until I saw something I recognized. So there I was, a young religious white women surrounded by a group of scary looking African American men who could not have been nicer.

They joked and sang and escorted me for about ten minutes until we came to the entrance of my brother’s neighborhood. I knew where I was now.

“You guys are angels!” I said but they shrugged it off. “You have a nice evenin’, sugar!” they called as I walked away. I got back just as Tova was about to get in her car and canvass the streets. When I described what had happened she was shocked. “You wandered into one of Baltimore’s worst neighborhoods,” she explained. “I just can’t believe those guys walked you home!”

I know I was lucky. I know that God helped me out. But I also know that not everyone who looks scary has evil designs. And I also know that many times when we appeal to a person’s higher nature, his soul responds…