Chapter 7

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the girls inside the minivan made a rash decision to drive away. first id thot they were going to pull over, naturally.

“what the FUCK!?” i yelled at their taillights when they did not, “you are GOING TO DRIVE AWAY!?!?!”

i quick, got the license plate.

“FFG 7210 mutherfuckers!!!!”  i hollered out to their deaf ears, already a good block away.

“FFG 7210, FFG 7210!!”

i was screaming for anyone to hear.

“ffg 7210 ffg 7210 ffg 7210” i chanted it to myself then.

a womans voice: “we are calling the cops.”

i looked over my shoulder. it was the same foursome whod been the white bread to my walking sandwich outside the pub—three girls and a guy. theyd taken in the whole shebang and stood gaping mouthed on the curb before the crosswalk.

“did you hear me? FFG 7210!!!!”

“my phone is dead! can someone please put it in their phone so we remember??”

“what was it?” the man calmly asked me.

“FF2 7210,” i said, calmer this time.

i was still sitting in the street. where on earth was the Saturday night traffic?

as i asked myself, two cars happened by in the lane next to me.

one stopped, an SUV, “honey do you need me to call the police?”

“they already called, thanks.”

“i saw what happened, i am so sorry,” the woman said.

she was middle-aged and African American, “they were black, too,” she clucked.

after saying sorry again the woman drove away, shaking her head.

thus far id not moved anything lower than my head. i turned my neck, side to side, smooth. i cautiously wiggled my fingers. i extended both arms, then bent them back. good. nothing hurt. i wiggled my toes. i lifted one leg and then the other. both legs hurt but both legs moved.

“can you get up?” the whiter of the two white men asked me.

“maybe you shouldnt move her?” one of the ladies suggested.

“no, im good,” i said.

i got myself up and hobbled to the sidewalk; found purchase against a newspaper box.

“o my god, i am SO GLAD im not hurt!”

i dusted off my hands.

“im in SHOCK!”  i smiled about as big as anybody could.

i was counting my blessings.

“how can you not be hurt?” a woman stated.

“honey, that car hit you good, it was LOUD!” another said.

seriously, seconds later two squad cars arrived. i think in all, one minute had passed. these cops were goddamned good.

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