Darnell glanced at his passenger, who was staring out the window. They had ridden in mutually-agreed silence for the past twenty minutes, but he couldn’t help sneaking peeks at her. She had the most striking face he had ever seen. It was almost surreal with perfect bone structure, porcelain-smooth skin, and eyes so large that she almost looked like an anime character. She also had disproportionally long legs. Darnell guessed that she almost matched his six-foot height. However, she had slid her seat so far back to accommodate her legs that he had to twist his head to see her.
She grunted, “Please stop staring,” and he returned his attention to the road. They had spent the first part of the trip arguing about her need to go to the hospital. Then their conversation transitioned into postulation about where the mysterious truck might be heading. Darnell noted that it could have turned onto any of the many side roads. However, his passenger insisted that the driver was heading toward an urban area.
Rochester was the closest city in this direction, but the woman considered it to be too small. Darnell pointed out that if she needed a larger city, New York City was about six hours farther with Syracuse and Binghamton along the way. His passenger claimed that a lengthy drive made no sense and asked about transportation hubs in Rochester.
Darnell considered her phrasing awkward but replied that there was a bus terminal, a train station, and the Rochester International Airport. She brightened upon hearing about the airport and decided that it must be the truck driver’s destination. She demanded Darnell take her there, but he had listened to enough of her demands. He promptly pulled to the side of the road. He had to convince her to seek medical attention.
Upon stopping, he said, “Listen, I am not taking you to the airport. We are going to the hospital to have them examine you. You hit your head pretty hard and are experiencing confusion. You could have a serious internal injury like brain swelling, which might worsen over time.”
The woman glared at him and reiterated her demand to go to the airport. When Darnell started to argue, she quickly opened the door and leaped out of the car, screaming, “We are not going to any hospital. You will take me to the airport, and we will find that truck!”
Darnell yelled, “No, I won’t. Now get back in this car and let me help you!”
She hissed, “Do as I say, or I swear you will regret it.”
Darnell put the car into drive and muttered, “Fine. I’m out of here.”
“Drive off, and I will flag down the next car and tell them what happened in my own words. I’ll describe how you were speeding and hit me while I was waiting to cross the road.”
“Nice try, but the damage is on the side of my car.”
“Yes, and I would have been dead if you hadn’t swerved at the last minute, and I hadn’t jumped back. I seem to be suffering from some sort of amnesia, but I do know you insisted that I get into your car instead of waiting for an ambulance. I don’t even know what happened to my phone, wallet, or keys, which all seem to be missing. I’m just lucky to have escaped by jumping out of your car and memorizing your license plate.”
Darnell stared at her in horror. “But that’s not at all what happened.”
She replied, “And who do you think they will believe? You or me?”
Darnell realized that the cops would have a BOLO on his car in minutes based upon her story. If he dropped her at the hospital, even his coworkers would side with this pretty, white woman. He sighed and pushed the door open.
They reached I-390 and headed south. Darnell told her they would reach the airport in another ten minutes. He was still mad but realized that the airport was on his way home anyway. Giving this crazy woman what she wanted would be the quickest way to get her out of his life. He just wanted to get rid of her, go to bed, and forget about this entire day.
The woman finally broke her silence to say, “I’m sorry for being so rude. I must find this truck and the package inside. I only threatened you because I am desperate. You have no idea how important it is to stop that man. I swear that you will never see nor hear from me again after leaving me at the airport. I am confident I will find him, retrieve what he has stolen, and depart.”
The woman’s apology made Darnell feel surprisingly better. He answered, “Perhaps, everything will work out, but I doubt it. You see, the airport will be closed by the time we reach it.”
She did not reply, but they both felt slightly less tense. Ten minutes later, when they pulled into the airport, she gleefully pointed out that it was not closed. Darnell agreed that the facility was open for the last arriving passengers of the day, but that no flights would leave until morning.
Darnell stopped in front of the terminal, grateful that this trip was over. She smiled and thanked him as she exited his car. He shouted, “Hey, I don’t even know your name. I’m Darnell. What should I call you?”
She replied, “I’m Agent 237.”
“OK, Miss 237, I’ll hang out here if you change your mind and want to go to the hospital.”
Sholene simply smiled and walked away.
The woman had barely entered the terminal when a police officer tapped on Darnell’s window.
“I’m sorry, son, but you need to move along.”
Darnell quietly explained that he was waiting for his friend to return, but the officer was insistent.
“This is a no-standing zone, son. We can’t have you blocking traffic, and we must keep this area clear for emergency vehicles.”
The airport was virtually closed, and there was no one else around except the three other cars idling by the curb in front of him. Darnell considered mentioning his observation until he saw the officer step back and place his hand on his holster.
Darnell quickly said, “Yes, officer. Thank you, officer. I’ll just be going now, officer.” He hoped the man did not detect his sarcastically subservient tone or how he pronounced “officer” with an inflection that almost sounded like “Massah.”
Darnell decided to take two slow laps around the airport loop to be sure Agent 237 hadn’t returned. He sighed in relief after his third pass of the vacant terminal and decided to count his blessings and head home. However, something bothered him as he approached the exit, and he circled one more time.
Sure enough, the black-clad woman was anxiously pacing in front of the terminal. She climbed in the car when he stopped, wanting to know why he had left. Darnell saw the officer trotting toward his vehicle before answering and asked Agent 237 to lean out her window and wave at the friendly policeman.
Sholene looked at him as though he was insane but did as he asked. The officer took one look at her and returned to his post. She gave Darnell a quizzical look, but he muttered, “Don’t ask,” and drove off.
When they reached the exit, she suspiciously asked whether he was taking her to the hospital. Darnell replied that he should take her there but that he was tired of arguing. Instead, he was bringing her home to rest before coming back to the airport in the morning.
The woman visibly relaxed and mentioned that the airport opened at six o’clock. She added, “Thank you for all your help. Please, call me Sholene.”
The two spent the short ride to Darnell’s one-bedroom apartment off of Genesee Street in silence. His apartment was the front-half of a subdivided house’s second floor, so he offered her his hand to ascend the steep stairs. She, of course, refused. Darnell shook his head and carried his never-unpacked suitcase upstairs. Sholene used the handrail to slowly and painfully pull herself up each stair, individually, with lengthy pauses. The man left the door ajar and went inside.
Darnell kicked off his shoes, deposited his rollaboard in his bedroom, and went to the bathroom to wash his hands and splash water on his face. He stared at his exhausted face in the mirror and marveled at all the poor decisions he had made today. Each seemed to be worse than the previous one. His last decision to bring home a crazy, manipulative, entitled woman he barely knew was beyond foolish. This choice was dangerous, but he felt obligated to keep her under observation due to the concussion she suffered from her collision with him. She would be out of his life in the morning.
Darnell dried his face and returned to his living room to check on his guest, but she wasn’t there.
Sholene climbed the cramped stairway, which reeked of moldy carpet. She took each step slower than the previous one. Finally, she sat on the top stair in trepidation of entering this unknown man’s apartment. She had never been anywhere like this and added the experience to her day’s growing list. She was terrified of how this man might behave in his familiar environment but reminded herself that she had trained to handle situations like this. For now, she had to focus on surviving the night. Tomorrow she would return to the airport, complete her mission, and head home.
These thoughts calmed the young agent until she realized that she had to transport the package to a remote field forty miles away. Then she remembered that her compatriots were not returning for six more days. Sholene was suddenly overwhelmed by not knowing how she could survive several days while carrying a dangerous package with no money, no identification, and no help.
Darnell found his guest sitting on the top step, softly crying. This time she accepted the black man’s hand as he helped her stand and limp inside.
He asked, “Would you like some tea? It’s decaf.” She nodded, and he added, “The bathroom is down the hall with a first aid kit in the vanity. I’m sure you’ll want to clean up and tend to those scrapes on your hands.”
He headed into the kitchen to boil some water. His guest had cleaned up and was staring at the framed photos on his mantle when he returned with the tea. She faced him as he entered the small living room and began her apology.
“Listen, I’m sorry for threatening to report you to the police. That was my training taking over. You see, I am willing to do anything to complete my mission.”
Sholene shuddered after saying that. She did not want this strange man to misconstrue her statement.
“I mean, we both made some thoughtless statements since we met, and I admit that I am uncomfortable being around people like you. But, let’s start over. Hi. My name is Sholene.”
Darnell stared at this awkwardly smiling woman with an outstretched hand, and fury washed over him.
He exclaimed, “You’re uncomfortable being around someone like me!? Your apology is not accepted. Everyone makes mistakes, but yours are not limited to your words. Quick apologies cannot make them right.
“You can barely look at me and shy away every time I offer my hand. It’s as though you fear my dirty, black skin will rub off on you. Hell, you probably don’t even realize how you feel, and it’s time someone pointed it out to you, bitch. Did you even realize that you just insulted me in your attempted apology?”
Sholene was shocked. Darnell was right about her in ways he did not understand, but most of his statement was wrong, and no one got away with calling her a bitch.
She screamed, “You arrogant ass. You think you know everything and jump to conclusions. I don’t care about your skin color, but your appearance does sicken me.
“You are a self-absorbed fop who probably gushes over your appearance every time you pass a mirror. Look at your overly-developed physique from spending too much time in the gym. You cover your bulk with tight pants and that half-buttoned, white, silk shirt tautly stretched across your chest. Oh, and that heavy gold chain and overpowering cologne you’re wearing complete your odious image.
“I’ve known men like you who think they are God’s gift to women. You believe I should take one look at you and swoon. Well, asshole, you’re right about one thing. How we present ourselves with our words and appearance can show our true selves. And, people who look like you are pretty easy to understand.”
Darnell felt sick. Sholene was correct about him jumping to conclusions, at least for today. She was wrong about the gym, though. He was naturally athletic with a large frame, and he regularly worked out. But his musculature was primarily due to working twelve-hour shifts on his feet, where he frequently lifted patients. She was right about his ridiculous attire, though.
Darnell’s everyday fashion style consisted of either scrubs or cotton shirts and jeans. However, today he had dressed to fulfill Brienne’s explicitly-delivered request from last night’s video call. He had purchased the shirt and slacks this morning and borrowed his cousin’s ridiculous jewelry and obnoxious body-spray for his date. Sholene thought he was a player, and he couldn’t fault her conclusion. She must be terrified and genuinely desperate for his help even to be here.
Darnell sighed and groaned, “Brienne.”
Sholene picked up a framed photo and said, “I assume this is Brienne.”
Darnell shook his head and admitted, “No, that’s Sarah, my former fiancé.” This situation was getting worse by the second.
Sholene sarcastically replied, “Oh, I’m sorry. Did she leave after discovering your other dalliances? I’m guessing the perfume in your medicine cabinet belongs to yet another of your acquaintances.”
Darnell stared at the floor and whispered, “No, that’s Sarah’s, as are the women’s clothes, hanging in my closet. My fiancé died a year ago last December, and I haven’t had the heart to clear out her things.”
The whistling tea kettle mercifully broke the long, awkward silence that followed. Darnell left to brew some of Sarah’s favorite, herbal tea, while Sholene silently stared at the picture of two people taken in happier times.