Memories ~ Grace Among Thieves

After my graduation from high school I decided to take a year and work to earn lots of money for college.  I was eligible for some scholarships and grants but I wanted enough money so that I didn't have to work my freshman and sophomore years. 

I got a job at a finance company.  It happened that while I was there they went to computers.  This was at a time when basically the offices were set up with dumb terminals and the main brain was housed in some huge building somewhere central.  I forget where exactly.  It happened that I had a talent for the computer work.  So another employee and I were elected to travel to the different satellite offices and help them get up and running with the computer.  I loved it because I was out of the office and primarily working independently plus I got the mileage money, which was a nice little bonus.

Most of the time Wayne, my partner, drove to the destinations.  On one occasion though, he was off for some reason and I was sent to an office across town.  It took three bus transfers and about an hour and a half to arrive.  The office was small with a manager, loan officer and a clerk.  It took me less than a day to train them on the system.  I spent the rest of the time inputting the appropriate mail instructions for the clients.

Five o'clock came and I was out the door.  The weather was a little blustery but nothing to become alarmed over.  The bus was on time and it took me into downtown Pittsburgh.  There was an accident in one of the tunnels so traffic was horrendous.  The trip took much longer than usual.  By the time the bus arrived at my transfer stop, it was very dark and most everything in the area was closed.  It was also snowing hard, windy and cold.

Nothing was moving on the streets.  No buses, no taxis, no nothing.  I hovered in a doorway trying to shield myself from the weather.  Thank heavens for that green felt nose warmer and my Christmas gift from my sister, a three-quarter length green wool coat with fur collar and cuffs.  Boots of course and wool scarf for head and neck.  Pretty much the only parts of me showing were my cheeks and eyes.

It seemed like forever standing there in the biting wind.  I thought maybe I could find a hotel and just stay the night.  As I was running the possibilities through my head, out of the corner of my eye I saw a young man walking up the sidewalk.  He slowed and said hello as he came near me.  Of course having been warned against strangers in the middle of a dead, freezing city, I cocked my nose (bell and all) into the air and turned my head away.  He continued along his way.

After a bit I ventured from my cubby to try to see a hotel within walking distance.  My feet were getting numb and I knew I would have to make a move soon.  The wind picked up so I retreated to my shelter.  Stamping my feet and grumbling curses I looked up to find the same young man standing before me holding a single red rose.  He didn't say anything as he took my hand and placed the rose in it. 

Finally my brain kicked in and as I stared at the beautiful flower, he said, "My name is Joe N.  I'd like to help, if you'll allow me."

Oh, the hell with ‘speaking to strangers'.  How could I deny this handsome young man who produced winter roses the opportunity to do a public service?  I smiled and told him my plight, not that it wasn't obvious. 

He told me that the tunnel accident and the weather had stopped everything.  It might be hours before any buses came by.  The taxis were caught up in the same mess.  Then he said that his office was just around the corner at a construction site.  Would I care to walk with him to the site and he'd give me a hot cup of coffee and we would decide what to do.

It took about two seconds to make that decision.  Sure enough, just around the next corner and down an alley, there was a construction site with a trailer, which was his office.  We tossed around my options and finally came to the decision that he would drive me home.  He felt certain he could make it to Penn Hills.  So off we went in his big black Cadillac Eldorado. 

He got me home safely and went into the house with me to introduce himself to my mother.  She got this stony look on her face and clenched her jaw.  This was a look I hated to see because it usually meant that at any moment she would explode into a rage.  Well, she didn't explode but walked Joe out to his car.  I started to go along but she told me to stay in and get warm.  I said my thank yous and goodbyes to Joe and retreated to my room.  You just didn't mess with my mother when that look came over her.

She came back into the house a few minutes later.  She said, "Do you know who that is?"

I shrugged and was prepared to give the stock sarcastic answer but she didn't let me.  "That is the son of Nicky N."  Then she went on to enlighten me about these people.  According to my mom, Nicky N was Pittsburgh contingent of the B family from Chicago.  They were mobsters, mafia and none of them were any good and I should forget I ever set eyes on him.  She told him the same thing out at his car.

Since my mother had a propensity for drama, I believed about a quarter of what she was telling me until the next day.  I called my best friend to check this information out.  She was Italian and had her ears to all the gossip around town.  She confirmed everything my mother had told me.  She also said she couldn't wait to tell her cousin, B, who would be absolutely livid with envy.

For once in my life, I actually used some common sense and didn't pursue this Joe N.  I was a bit of an impulsive, wild child but not stupid.  And besides, had I gotten to know Joe better, I might not have this lovely memory of the young man who gave me a single red rose on a blustery winter evening in deserted downtown Pittsburgh.