The Walk Home

The Walk Home
By Barb Lowry

I knew it was a mistake the minute I stepped through the front door. It was definitely the wrong place to be but Tim insisted on stopping at Mark’s house on the way home so what could I say? I didn’t like Mark and he had a bad reputation but Tim just had to stop. I should have known better because wherever there were drugs, Tim wanted to be there. He was a wonderful man and I loved him but tonight we had fought and we both knew our relationship was ending. I was upset enough about that and now having to stop at Mark’s house made me angry. It was always what Tim wanted and this just proved it.

I’m no innocent but when I stepped inside it was a bit frightening to me, having the look of an opium den with very low lights and a hovering haze of smoke, the smell of incense, cigarettes and pot. There were so many people sitting and standing anywhere they could find an open space, on the arms and backs of sofas, the stairway, and the floor. In the corner stood a man talking dressed in a long white robe with very long hair, looking quite like the Maharishi, with people sitting in front of him on the floor in a daze as if they were listening intently. Everyone had a drink in hand and I could see pipes and joints being passed among them. It was a diverse mix of people and had the place not had the aura of doom, it might have been interesting to stay and listen in on conversations.

But I knew almost immediately that I couldn’t stay at the party. It just wasn’t my scene and I was too afraid that it would be raided by the campus police. As I expected, Tim didn’t seem to care, already involved in the pipe passing exercises. In my mind I contemplated the trip home. I lived on the other side of campus and it was after midnight and I knew Tim wouldn’t want to go because once he was in the front door, he was there to stay. My choice was to stay where I was horribly uncomfortable or to walk home. I had to get out of there. I told myself that I could just walk where it was lighted. With the decision finally made, I found Tim and told him I was leaving. “Be careful…” His parting words dismissed me without a further thought.

Closing the door behind me, I took a deep, cleansing breath. There were people still coming in and I stepped aside to let them by. Then I turned and started walking along the side of the busy roadway, careful to stay far enough from the traffic. I knew it was a much longer walk if I stayed along the road so I made an impulsive move onto a path that I knew cut through the field beside the freshman dorms. By the time I reached the middle of the field, I realized that it seemed unusually dark. I looked up and saw the sky was full of stars but the moon was no where to be found. I nervously picked up my pace a bit.

Across the street from the dorms was the married housing complex. It was not well-lighted but there was very little traffic so I decided that if I cut between those buildings and followed the path through the bushes along the walk by the library, I could be home in half an hour. I crossed the street and headed toward the designated path.

I could hear a car coming up behind me and its headlights made my movements into a large moving shadow in front of me. I slowed my pace. The car slowed too. I glanced over my shoulder and saw it was only about 25 feet behind me. A chill ran down my back. I tried to act nonchalant but my heart was racing. Gradually, it came along side me. I kept my face forward. I didn’t want to encourage anything.

“Hey, baby! Wanna get lucky tonight????” a loud and boisterous voice shouted from the car window. I heard laughter from the back seat but kept walking, pretending to ignore them. The car continued beside me slowly. I could hear their sadistic laughter as if I was about to be their sacrificial lamb for the night. Looking ahead, I was scouring the area to see where I could go to get away from them. Why can’t they just leave me alone, it’s already been a bad night, I thought as my eyes filled with tears. Finally I spied the sidewalk that cut through between two buildings. Good, I thought, they can’t follow me in their car. As I turned onto the walkway, I saw there was no lighting but to me it seemed safer than on the street subjected to their jeers. Logic told me that if I couldn’t see them in the dark then surely they couldn’t see me either.

“Where ya goin’, Sweetheart?” came the drunken, seductive voice again. I heard more laughter and giggling in the car and then a bottle breaking on the sidewalk. With my back to them, I hurried away up the path. It was then I heard the sound that set panic within me…a car door opening and closing. Oh, God! They’re coming after me!

I began to run. Up ahead were some bushes. I could hide in there, I thought as I rounded a curve in the path. I dove under a bush and then crawled up against the building. Holding my breath, I heard footsteps race past my hiding spot along with shouts from the man. “She’s gone!” I stayed hidden for what seemed like hours but finally, it was quiet and it appeared that they had given up. I peeked out from under the bush to be sure it was safe to come out before I crawled back out onto the path. The car was gone so I turned toward home.

Ahead I knew from walking to classes that the path curved through another set of bushes before it opened along the side of the library. If I can make it to the library, I thought, I know I’ll be safe because there are always lots of people about, no matter the hour. Still, I was very frightened and panic bubbled to the surface. I started to run. Through the bushes I ran, faster and faster, spotting the lights of the building ahead. I must get there. Nothing will stop me from getting there!

Suddenly, from out of the shadows, a body appeared and blocked the path in front of me! Unable to stop, I crashed into the person and heard myself scream at the top of my lungs! Large arms went around me and held me tight. Still screaming, I struggled but the arms were too strong. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t breathe and I started to blackout, my knees caving underneath me. In the far reaches of my mind I heard a voice.

“It’s okay, Miss. You’re okay! I’m not going to hurt you! You’re safe!” The arms around me held me so tight I couldn’t move. I felt my limp body being carried and set upon a stone bench. Tears pouring from my eyes, I open them just wide enough to see the shine of a badge on the chest in front of me and two large dark eyes peering into my own with astonished concern.

“It’s okay. Really! I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you! Please calm down.” He brushed hair from my face. I could still feel my heart pounding in my chest as I began to breathe again. Sobbing, I grabbed onto this man in uniform and held on as if my life depended on him.

He sat on that bench with me for a long time, his arms around me holding me as my sobs and shivering subsided. When my breathing had returned to a somewhat normal level, he led me to his car and radioed in that he was taking me home. As we drove along, he asked me why I was out alone at that hour and I explained without giving too many details. After all, I didn’t want Tim to get arrested, despite his attitude. When we pulled in front of my house, I sat for a moment before I reached for the door handle.

“Oh no, you don’t,” he said quietly. He opened his own door and walked around to my side, opened the door and helped me out and then walked me to the door. I wasn’t sure what my housemates were up to that night but I knew if they were home, opening the door with a policeman wouldn’t go over well. So I turned to him and thanked him.

With the porch light on, I could see him more clearly. He was really quite young. I was surprised at that. I thought most kids went to college or joined the army. I never thought that kids might be interested in joining the “establishment”. The police were pretty much the “anti-Christ” of the college students. We talked for a short while but then the radio attached to his belt rudely cut through the conversation. He answered the page. He was needed on a call. I have to admit, I was disappointed that he had to leave. I thanked him again for being there when I really needed him and then turned and opened the door to go in. Just before I closed the door behind me, I peeked around to see him look up from his side of the car, then he got in, shut the door and left.

None of my housemates were home and the house was dark and quiet. I went upstairs, washed my face and got in my pj’s. I put on some soft music and just as I was about to drift off to sleep, the phone rang.

“Can you come and get me?” It was Tim.
“No”
“Come on Jamie, this is my only phone call!”
I hesitated for a second…then smiled.
“No” I answered and hung up.