Monday, May 12, 2008

Wrong

Everything that could go wrong this weekend, did.


Two of my friends and I decided to take a day trip down to Maryland. They wanted to do some shopping, and I had to collect a few things from my storage unit to take on my trip to the Philippines. I was up at 4:00 a.m. to prepare for our trip down to Maryland.


As we were leaving Manhattan, waiting at a light on Broome Street to get to the Holland Tunnel, we were suddenly rear-ended. Fortunately, no one was injured, although my car did suffer a big dent in the back bumper. The offender was a twenty-year old Filipino boy with braces. He seemed like a good kid, but I still lectured him in Tagalog (making it more effective), and he seemed ready to breakdown. I told him that we could get my car fixed without going through his insurance, but that he should not even entertain the thought of trying to do anything underhanded because I worked for a huge Manhattan law firm and that I could make his life really miserable. I know - I'm evil sometimes, but I wanted to add that part in for extra effect.


When we got to Maryland, I almost got into a fight with a redneck girl in Damascus. She was driving really slowly in a one lane road, and I was behind her. Because she was driving so slowly, all the other cars behind me were illegally passing her on the right side, but out of safety concerns, I stayed behind her. Meanwhile, she kept driving slowly, slamming on her brakes for no reason, causing me to brake suddenly. This kept on for a few minutes, until the road turned into a two-lane road. As I passed her car, she was cursing at me and then she slit her eyes with her finger (to indicate "chink" because I am Asian). I was so mad, I stopped the car and told her to get out of her car and to try that motion again in front of my face. Of course, she didn't and she kept on driving. So it wasn't one of my better moments, but I cannot stand being judged because of the slant in my eyes or the color of my skin. I think also, I was just itching for a good physical fight.


As we're driving around Maryland, my friend, J, pointed out the fact that my car was missing the front license plate (illegal in Maryland). I already have some issues with that car since it is my brother's, and he had let the registration expire. So, I was driving around on expired tags, with no front license, and a dented back.


As for the items that I had to obtain from my parent's safe - it took six people and nearly two hours to open it. I'll save that story for another day.


We left Maryland at 4:00 p.m. It was the first time that I couldn't wait to leave there. Maybe now I am starting to feel as though New York is my home.








Today I received an email from SH. He found this among his dad's belongings as he was sorting through his father's papers. His father had taken this photo of us, thirteen years ago, and kept it among his things.




taken by EH


I didn't know EH well, but I grieve for him. I grieve that I didn't get to know him well. I grieve that our paths crossed once, ever so briefly, and now they will never cross again. This one photo is my only reminder that our paths ever crossed.