That night, I jumped out of my bed. I had to go take another joyride. It was 3 am and I just had to. I had the foresight to bring a good blanket or two, and a few nice pillows, just in case I wanted to lay under the stars. Of course I had a good sturdy ground cover, to keep everything nice and clean.
Why was I driving out there, so late at night? I have no idea, but it was like a voice just told me that I HAD TO GO TAKE A RIDE. So I got up, got dressed and took my spare blankets and a pillows and stuff with me. I took my tools and a full can of gas. I don't know why, but if a big voice in your dreams told you to do something for whatever reason... YOU DO IT.
I stopped at the all night mini mart and got some snacks and a couple of chocolate milks. My folks were out of milk, so I got a half gallon of regular white milk for them too.
So there I was, driving around at three-thirty in the morning out in the woods. I got on
route 563, the road to the lake. I came around a turn and there was a car smacked up against a tree. I stopped to help if I could. I hoped they were ok.
The car was very messed up. There was a dark-haired woman hunched over the steering wheel weeping. She had her hands held in the prayer position. Was she praying? It was very cold, like twenty degrees and windy. There was snow swirling and floating everywhere as we where going to get more damn snow. It was freezing cold. Damn it! We should be in spring by now! The poor woman was shivering. This was not good at all.
I looked in the back and there were two small children crying. I knocked on the window. The woman jumped in fear. She had two black eyes. One was swollen shut. Her lip was bleeding. I can't believe someone had done this to her. Terrible.
"Are you alright?" I asked her.
"No. I'm broke. My husband tried to kill me. I had to get away. My babies... I don't know what to do." She was shivering badly. It was pretty cold. I think she was Spanish from her accent. Her hair was
long and shiny and jet black.
"Come on, my car is nice and warm. I have a couple of chocolate milks. Wait, I have a small thing of milk here, and some snacks in that bag. Let's get your kids." We got in my car and I was going to bring them to my folks house. As soon as they had some chocolate milk and got warm, the babies were both asleep. Their mom was asleep very shortly after that. She looked very frightened. Terrified.
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I headed home with my new Spanish friend and her kids.
I hope my parents were both feeling generous tonight. The poor woman was in the back with babies in both arms and my pillows and blankets warming them up. I stopped back at the quick mart again and bought some disposable diapers and cornstarch and such. The poor woman had nothing for her children. Not a damn thing, poor dear. Beat up bad and broke with a couple of babies as well. Wow. She needed help bad.
When I got home I went in and woke my folks up. I felt like Daniel walking into the lions den. Here we go. I said a quick prayer.
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"You did what? Are you crazy? You can't just bring people home like a dog that followed you." My father looked upset.
"Ok Dad, I guess all that shit we say in church is just a big pile of shit lie huh? Is that what you're telling me? Nevermind, I'll just take her and her two infants down to the police station. I'm sure they will be very comfortable there." I started to walk out of my folks home for the last time. I was livid. I bet I was beet red. I was not coming back home. I was steaming angry. All that bullshit about being a good Christian, except for when it really mattered. Why had they preached it into my skull if they didn't believe in it? I was very upset.
"Stop right there Daniel. Bring them inside here. Your father was just caught off guard. He would never turn two infants out into the cold. Where is the father?" My mother was in automatic help mode, just like that.
"I don't know. He beat the shit outa her mom. She might lose the one eye. Maybe I should just go to the hospital. I don't want to force you guys into doing something that you really don't want to do. I do apologize. I'll be back sometime tomorrow to get my things. Sorry I bothered you Father." I started to walk out again. This was the last time for me.
"Daniel... I am sorry, you're right...please just bring them in. We'll take her to the hospital if she wants to go. I am so sorry, I guess you caught me at a bad time. You are absolutely right, go bring them in son. I'll fix up the spare bedroom for them." My dad had done a quick 180 degree turn. He was suddenly as good a Christian as ever. I love both my parents.
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"My name is Maria Morales. We have been having a hard time getting food these last few weeks. My husband (Juan) lost his job. They just fired everyone in the building, just like that." She snapped her fingers. "We kicked out of the apartment with no notice, the cops literally trew us in the street. We have no clothes, no food, no notting. I stole that car because my husband was beating me, and I fear for my babies. He...he like a crazy madman. I think he lose his mind. I never see him like dat, like the devil was in him, you know?
"We run for our lives. A guy left car run in the parking lot of gas station and... I took it. I hope God forgive me for that, but I no idea how to get away from crazy husband Juan. Daniel here took us in his car and gave food and chocolate milk. He save us. I turn myself in to poliza tomorrow and I pray someone nice take care of my childrens while I'mn jail." She burst into tears. She was weeping her heart out. My heart went out to the struggling, soon-to-be-single mom. Talk about up against it!
"Don't worry yourself about anything. Let me look at that eye. Dan, go get an icepack. Honey, do you think you remember how to change a diaper? These two are ripe. Make sure they're cleaned up Hon. Unless you want to take care of her eye?" My mom asked my dad for help. He was anxious to do something to help, anything.
"No, no, I'll take care of the babies. Dan, go downstairs and find the box with all the baby things in it. There's a crib and matress down there too. Make sure everything is clean, clean, clean. Bring it up to me in the spare bedroom."
My dad was full on helping now.
"Ok Dad. Mom, that eye looks pretty bad. When I get the baby things, you want me to take her to the doctor?"
"Maybe we can persuade old Dr Jonas to come over and look at it. The hospital will ask a lot of questions. Too many questions. Questions we don't want to ask. She stole a car and the cops will take a dim view of that." My mom was looking out for Maria. That's probably why we weren't rushing to the hospital.
I dug out my mom's time capsule for her time when me and my siblings were all infants. She had everything you could ask for, bottles, nipples, cloth diapers, and clothes, clothes, clothes. I brought it all up and got the crib up and cleaned like a whirlwind. The babies needed all this stuff and more. I dragged it upstairs and set it up for the little ones. My dad had changed the sheets and got more blankets and pillows for the brood. When I got back down to the living room, there was the doctor and his wife. He was retired. She had an armload of baby stuff and was gently holding the smaller child. My mother was holding the older one. He looked around two years old, maybe less. Maria was nursing the younger child in her lap. Wait! I only saw two babies in the car. What the fuck? Three babies?! Sweet Jesus! I said another prayer for them.
Maria looked at me. "I hold little Mimi under my coat to keep her warm. She only two weeks old." Maria saw my upset face. "Sorry I did not tell you about her right away." I kinda understood. Lord knows what this woman has been through. Keeping her newborn safe and warm underneath her coat is not much of an oversight. Maria had pulled out a gigantic tit out of her old and worn industrial strength bra to feed the tiny infant. Damn, those were some ginormous boobs.
"Will they let me nurse my babies in jail?" Maria was distraught. She started to cry again.
I spoke up, "You're not going to jail. I'll go tell the cops that I did it. You can stay with my folks." She pulled me down and kissed me. I gave her all the money I had. It wasn't much, like $300 or so, but she could take care of her brood. Her eyes went wide open.
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"So I'll take the blame for her and she can stay here for a while. I'm gonna walk down to the police station."
"Son, don't do that! There's got to be a better way. We'll think of something." There wasn't much else that would work. The cops wanted their pound of flesh, that was their job. I would protect her by providing that pound.
I kissed my folks and called up my friend Joe Carter. "Joe, I don't know what you heard. I found a poor beaten woman out on 563. Yep, right near the lake. Anyway, her husband was gonna kill her, and the kids, so she swiped someone's car. I can't let her go to jail, so I'm going to turn myself in and take the rap...
Yes, I'm serious. I need you to look after my car while I'm in jail. Yes, my Charger... You don't understand, she has three small children. I'm walking down to the police station now. Thanks Joe, I do appreciate it." I got out my warmest coat as it was still freezing cold outside and I started walking down to the precinct building. It was only about ten blocks. I walked with determination.
I got inside the police building and walked inside. I walked up to the on-duty officer.
"I'm here to turn myself in. I stole that car out by the lake." His face was utter surprise.
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So the officer was filling out paperwork for me to sign, when the door burst open. It was my buddy Joe.
"He didn't steal that car, I did!" Joe shouted. The cop was shocked, to say the least. Next thing, all hell broke loose. Several other guys, all my friends came in to confess to the theft. The officer did not know what to do, so he ran to get the captain of the force. The door opened again and out in the front was fifty young guys and quite a few older men, including the Pastor Jeff, all claiming to be the miscreant who took the car. The captain of the department came out and ripped up all my confession paperwork.
