Defining Moments

THE INFAMOUS CAR
Random acts of kindness from the heart are always the noblest. I had a car that I named Miranda. She was a maroon, four door, Hyundai Elantra. I had gone through hell and back in repairs with this car. It was only benefiting that I called her Miranda after the actress Miranda Richardson who played the infamous character from the movie The Crying Game.

On September 29^th, 2011 Danielle was coming to visit me in the morning. I had just gotten off work however I was willing to loose sleep to be with my girlfriend. Danielle texted me saying that she had an unexpected surprise for me. She had her son with her. In the past, Danielle had not wanted me to meet her children until she knew for sure that we would work out. Her children became attached to her ex girlfriend. When they did not work out, the children were devastated. She asked if I could watch him while she ran an errand and then she would be right back. I agreed to this. Danielle asked me a special favor when watching her son.

“Please don’t let on to my son, that you are my wife, my girlfriend,” Danielle tells me.

“I understand however we did exchange vows in private and they’ll figure out that we are together. When will you tell them about us?” I ask sternly.

Danielle sighs,

“Soon, you have to understand we are a Mexican family and I have to figure out a way to tell them. I love you and you know this.”

“I know, see you soon.” I replied disappointed. I hung up my cell phone shaking my head. Danielle and I made an agreement that she would not introduce me to her children or family as her girlfriend or that we exchanged private vows as wives. Danielle gave me a long story about how she wanted to make sure that we were solid. She didn’t want to further traumatize her children to yet another disappointment. I related especially to the children. However, in my heart, I was saddened.

I start a pot of coffee when I receive a frantic phone call from Danielle. She has been pulled over in front of my apartment complex. I immediately drive to the front of the complex. The police are there taking her information. Danielle directs her son to go to my vehicle. He slowly gets into the back of my car. He smiles at me with nervousness. I smiled back assuring him that everything would be okay. In my mind I was not sure how this was going to play out.

Danielle didn’t know that I knew about her past. I found out by accident. A few days ago I wanted to find her profile on Google and found something that she never shared with me. It was a mug shot of her arrest record. She had a small record of a misdemeanor c for theft and possession of marijuana. When I discovered this information I had to think about why Danielle never told me. I was in no position to judge someone’s past as I have hidden my past of being abused. I decided to keep the information to myself and allow Danielle to tell me in her own time.

Slowly, I walk over to the Danielle to see what was going on. Danielle is shaking.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

“I was driving on an expired license and my tags are expired. Not my day. And to top it off, the car is not in my name. It’s in my ex-husbands.”

I smile at Danielle,

“Just wait here, “I said

I walk over to the Police Officer.

“Morning, Officer. What’s going to happen?” I ask.

“Well her license is expired, tags expired and the vehicle is not in her name. Who are you?” Officer asks.

I calmly look at the officer,

“She is my girlfriend and she is coming to see me. Take the vehicle and put her in my custody. Don’t do anything more please, not in front of her child,” I state.

The officer asks for my identification which I gave. The officer runs my identification coming back to me, smiling.

“Thank you for your service. I have paperwork to run, she can stay,” Officer states.

The police officer starts writing up paper work as I walk back to my car on the driver’s side. Danielle’s son looks nervous as he looks out the back window of my car. I could sense that he was panicked. I reflected back on the information that I had just learned about Danielle’s arrest record in the past. I could understand that her son was worried that his mother would go back to jail. My only hope at this point was that the officer would be true to his word and not arrest Danielle and that she could stay as per his promise.

Danielle’s son turns around, looks right at me, asking,

”Is Mom going to jail again?”

I smile at the boy trying to reassure him,

“No not if I can help it,” I replied.

“You do know mom used to be in jail and we had to visit her on the

weekends right, Miss Kat?

I look at this boy, soon to be my stepson. What words could I say to ease his worries about his mother, my girlfriend? I felt as though his admission about his mother being in jail was a test to see if I would abandon him or his mother. Little did he realize that I already knew the truth and would not judge or run.

“Sometimes people make mistakes however we cannot judge. I know that she was in jail and what for. I still love her,” I said instinctively. Suddenly, I realized I said love her and her son did not know about us yet. Damn it, I had just told Danielle that I would not let it slip that we were together. However her son was worried and I needed to give him assurance that they were okay.

“Love?” The boy asks confused. I could see that he was trying to make a connection.

“Yes love, friends love one another.” I reply nervously.

Danielle walks to my car and gets in on the passenger side. I felt relieved as this conversation with her son had become awkward. We drove to my apartment. When we arrived at the apartment we went inside. The son instantly fell in love with my cat Mr. Sky.

Danielle was visibly shaken and motioned to me that she wanted to talk to me in private. She kisses her son, hugging him. You could tell that they had a deep bond. She instructs her son to stay inside as she needed to talk to me in private. We go outside to my patio, lighting a cigarette.

Danielle shakes her head in dismay.

“I am embarrassed that my car has been taken away. Now I have no vehicle for work at the catering company. With me being a team captain that isn't going to bode well for me.” Tears fill Danielle’s eyes.

I immediately begin to think of a solution for the love of my life. I knew if I just sat for a minute that a solution would come to me. It was only a matter of time. Danielle begins to panic again as I listen.

“Just when things are going well something bad always has to happen” Danielle stated.

Then it hit me as I think I found a solution.

“Yeah well it’s a good thing you have me. I have a solution.” I stated confidently.

“Follow me to the bedroom and I’ll tell you my solution,” I stated.

I go online on my computer to check my bank account. Yes, the solution is there. I have an extra 500 dollars. Now it’s just a matter of telling Danielle. I know that she can be stubborn however if she understands my proposal then it will work. Danielle looks at me as she sits next to me on my bed.

“What is your solution?” Danielle asks.

“I am going to give you my car and I am going to buy a new car for me,” I said.

Danielle looks at me with shock regarding my solution. Danielle could not believe what was happening.

“No, no I can’t” Danielle states.

I grab Danielle by her hands, staring into her beautiful eyes,

“Look at me, I can do this. Time is running out. You have to be at work. Without a vehicle you’ll lose your job based on what you are telling me,”

Danielle looks at me. Tears once again fill her eyes.

“No one has ever done this for me. Why would you do this for me?”

I smile, looking at this beautiful woman,

“I hate that you were mistreated by others. I’m doing this because I love you. I will not allow you to lose your job; if I can do anything I will stop this,” I said.

Danielle looks at me as she leans her head into my chest and arms crying.

“Why are you crying, honey?” I ask.

“ I’ve never had anyone love me like you do, Kat. I am so happy that I am your true love and that we are married and will do this in front of everyone.” Danielle replies as she gently kisses me.

I sigh knowing that I just provided the solution out of this tedious problem. If there is a will there is a way. Danielle looks at me in the eyes,

“I am so happy that Spirit finally answered my prayers and gave you to me.” Danielle cries even more.

I continue to hold Danielle in my arms. Her son is in my living room.

My thoughts are complete as I hold my girlfriend, my wife. This is what family was about in my perspective. Family in my eyes was about being there for one another.

“Danielle, we go through darkness to find the light. I’ll never let you down,” I assert strongly.

Danielle smiles at me as she wiping her tears away. Gently she lays me back on my bed lying on top of me, kissing me. Danielle stops looking into my eyes.

“You are so special to me. You’ve been through such evil and yet you came out so beautiful so loving. Thank you for you.”

Danielle and I sit up in bed as she checks on her son in my living room. I tell her that we need to go outside and drive my car.

She looks at me with curiosity.

“I do know how to drive a stick” Danielle smirks.

I laugh,

“Yes, you may however when they installed the new engine it was an automatic engine and the car was a stick so my shade tree mechanics converted it to make it work.

Danielle looks at me oddly,

“Okay, that’s different.”

“It drives like an automatic but it shifts weird,” I state.

We walk outside as I give Danielle the keys to my car Miranda. Danielle drives around the complex with ease. I smile at Danielle as she is driving around. The fact that she had no problem driving the vehicle led me to believe that this was a sign from Spirit. This was all meant to be. Everything happens for a reason. Danielle gets out of the vehicle looking at me.

“Are you sure?”Danielle asks.

I nod my head in assurance as we walk back inside my apartment.

“Yes. What I will do is put my new vehicle on my insurance

and I’ll pay for the insurance on your car now.”

Danielle looks at me,

“I, I...”

“That way you’ve a break. You’ve been saying you can’t seem to

catch a break. Well I am giving it to you. And I am paying for your insurance from this point on. Now you have a break.”

Danielle becomes emotional hugging me. I could see that her son was making a connection that we were just more than friends.

That night, Danielle and I rearranged our schedules so that she could take me to work until I bought my new car. The night came and Danielle drops me off at my restaurant I. She meets my head server Maria.

I will always remember what Maria told Danielle in the parking lot. Maria was the type of woman that just told you like it was. She did not care if you didn’t like it or if it hurt your feelings. Maria often had other servers upset over her style of communication. The irony was that customers adored Maria. Customers would walk out the door if she was not working that day and come back only when she was on duty. Maria felt like she had a duty to tell you what was on her mind. In looking back, Maria somehow knew what Danielle was going to do.

“Well, well it’s nice to finally meet Danielle, the woman that Kat has changed her whole world for.” Maria states with arrogance.

“Thank you. I do love her. She is great.” Danielle states.

I remember Maria just looking at Danielle standoffish. Two Mexican women were standing their ground. It was awkward on several levels. I couldn’t understand why Maria was being so standoffish. She has never been that way with me.

“I hope you do love her. I would hate to think that you were just using her, giving her empty promises because you know she never had family,” Maria states crossing her arms.

Danielle looks at Maria with a weird look on her face as though she had been caught.

“I would never do that to, Kat.” Danielle argues.

“We’ll see. Nice meeting you” Maria said walking off.

I look at Danielle apologizing for Maria’s behavior. Danielle kisses me in the parking lot, hugging me,

“I love you baby. Have a great night.”

The next day on September 30, 2011 I went to the dealership and for two hours I fought to get a vehicle. Finally I met the owner of the lot. He looks at me with concern.

“It’s hard with your credit to get you a vehicle.”

“Look I already gave my car to my girlfriend. I need a car. I am trying to help here. There has to be a solution.” I argue.

The owner shakes his head and suddenly realizes what I am saying.

“Wait, you gave your car away leaving you with no vehicle. Then prayed that you would come here and get one?”

I smile,

“Yes, it’s called a leap of faith.” I said.

“I’ve never seen anyone do that,” He replies.

The owner works another two hours and finally qualifies me for a 2002 Dodge Mini Van. The condition was that I had to put 2000 dollars down. I placed 500 down. The next three paychecks I would have to give 500. I rearranged all my bills and in some cases did not pay a few bills to make this happen. I never let Danielle know that I had to pay over 2,000 to make it happen. A lot of my friends helped make it happen. My friends were amazed that I had such faith to help someone. I was determined to make sure that Danielle would not lose her job. In the process I have been set financially back.

I remember what the owner said when we closed the deal on my vehicle,

“I wish there were more people like you. Never have I seen such an act of kindness”

I simply responded,

“It’s the honorable thing to do. I had the ability to help and I did. How many of you can help someone and you walk away?”