Bravery and Cowardice

Once a month Bon and I go out somewhere to eat. Today was that day. Bon got off of work at 8:30, got home around 9, and so we were ready to go out by 9:30 or so. We had intended to go to a nice little mexican restaurant on the north side of town, but it was closed by the time we got there. So we turned around and went to Olive Garden. Also closed. Across the street from Olive Garden sits an Austin treasure, a place that serves fried twinkies and fried macaroni and cheese. Plucker's. It seemed to be the only place open, so we sighed and settled for it. Several times it had been recommended to me, but the food, service and atmosphere were, well, less than satisfactory. Not my kind of place. Bon's heart was hurting, so we ate quickly, paid the bill and left. As we were walking to the car, a hispanic fellow, drunk out of his mind, started yelling at me. It didn't dawn on me that he was talking to me. I had never seen him before, so he had no reason to be yelling at me. I kept on walking as he shouted profanities, and only realized that they were directed at me when he began walking towards our car. Because Bon wasn't feeling well, I was going to drive. Bon told me to not look and to just drive, and I did. They got in their car and started following us. Bon saw them as they did a U turn in the middle of the road and sped towards us. They passed us and hit their brakes, swerving into our lane, windows rolled down, shouting at us. I hit the brakes, and pulled into a Blockbuster thinking they might not follow, or if they did, there might be witnesses. There's never enough time to think.

They came in another exit to the parking lot and came towards us head on. I tried going another direction but they blocked me. I slammed on the brakes and swerved before they could hit the car. A big Mexican guy got out and pulled Bon out of the car. Bon was already calling the police. Bon told him he was calling them, and the guy threw Bon into the car. I screamed. I didn't know what to do. I frantically searched for my phone as the guy started punching Bon, but I hadn't brought it. I just wanted to stop him, to protect Bon, and there was nothing I could do. I sat there frozen, terrified, trying to think if I could hit the guy with the car, or find a pocket knife, or run for help or anything. He kept hitting him. Bon rolled off of the car onto the pavement. I don't know why, but the guy stopping punching Bon and jumped back in his car real quick. He drove into the ATM there and tore up the side of his car and smoke was coming out of it. He laid rubber and was gone.

Several Blockbuster employees were watching from the curb, silent. I parked the car and ran to Bon. The police came a few minutes later. One of the employees stayed to be a witness. Bon was shaking with adrenaline and fear and chills. I started to shake too. Neither of the cops seemed too surprised. Or even interested, for that matter. I gave the best description I could. One of the cops looked at Bon and told him to put ice on it, sighed and got back in his car. I told them they had to go after him, to put an alert out for this guy. He was drunk and dangerous. He had no reason to attack us. Was it because we tried to walk away? I'm guessing so. Was it because we weren't poor-looking (although we are)? Probably. Because we were white? Definitely in there somewhere. That's why I am quitting Latin American Studies: I've had enough of that hatred directed towards me. I feel like I have been assaulted by Satan himself, and the man never laid a finger on me.

They said they would "do the best" that they could do. Write a report, see if anyone gets pulled in that fits the description. I hope they do. They said they would let us know.

Bon said the guy threw punches like a girl, that he had gotten harder spankings as a kid. Of course, his face is swollen up pretty badly and it's already bruised. He laughed at that the guy banged up his car. He's braver than I am. I wish I had done something. I feel like a coward because I just sat there, helpless. I don't understand that kind of anger and hatred, the vicious kind that can be tossed out at random innocent people. I don't want to understand it. I certainly don't understand the kind of person who has to get drunk to feel brave. Those are the true cowards.

So say a prayer for this man. Pray that he is stopped before he hurts someone else worse or kills someone driving drunk. Pray for the girl that was in the car, laughing at us as her boyfriend hit Bon. And pray for us, that we might survive this horrible place and still have the courage to help people. Because right now, I don't think I have it in me.