By NilsaEvie
He calls me to tell of his day. Sunday, no buses run, so he walks two miles to work, a brace on each leg. A brown man with a hoodie in the pouring rain. Cars zip by. Once home he takes a hot shower then goes for dinner.
Walking home, a police car stops him. I can’t breathe. Someone reported a man walking weird. He smiles, tells the officer he has cerebral palsy.
Was he nice to you? I ask.
He laughs and says, Yes, Mom, as if there is no doubt.
I sigh, knowing it was a roll of the dice.
So insightful!
Hello.
Effective because of the subtle approach to the topic. Well done.
The routine elements of the son’s day are so effectively contrasted with his being stopped by the police. And the narrator’s inability to breathe is so subtle but expresses the depth of her fear. Very powerful.
Timely and poignant!