Ignorance

Make sure you call me when you get home. I don’t know why you didn’t let my mom drive you,Said my friend.

It’s cool, and I’ll call you as soon as my foot touches my front step. I promise.

Before I locked my phone, I saw the red low battery at the top of my screen. 20 percent. Why the hell didn’t I charge my phone when I had a chance to. Now it’s about to die, and I need to get home. I just need to walk past the Mcdonald's on Oregon Avenue to get the G bus. The only thing is, I don’t know where I am now. This is actually my first time on this side of South Philly. I never stay out this late. Especially in unknown neighbourhoods, I should know better than that. At least I had fun, I haven’t seen my friends in a long time. They do say, time goes faster when you’re having fun, right? 18 percent.The street signs blended into the darkness of the night. I couldn’t even read the letters. It took me minute or so to realize I was about 8 blocks down from where I needed to be. Great. If I had charged my phone I could use siri, but I need to preserve as much battery as I can. I need to think more, mom would kill me if she knew I let my phone die like this. Speaking of, let me tell her I am on my way home.

Hey mom, everything is all good. I am heading home now, ttyl.

I hope she replies before my phone dies.

Where are you? Said my mom, her text message lit up my phone. Almost as a beacon, for my journey ahead.

I'm heading toward 12th and Oregon to catch the bus now, I have to walk through a few neighborhoods.

She replied, Ok be careful. Please call when you get on the bus.

11 percent.

Oh wow, I walked four blocks already? This isn’t so bad. The streetlights on this side of the street are getting dimmer though, so I should probably cross over.

Hey you nigger! Get out of our neighborhood, before we have to force you out. Your kind isn’t welcomed around here.  

Who is he talking to? He isn’t talking to me right? Is there anyone else walking besides me? I turned a round, and saw a group of tall men on the corner of a pub. They’re probably drunk.

Yeah keep on, somebody watch her and make sure she doesn’t disappear into the night.

Are I would have never thought of hearing this outside of a Hollywood Movie!  I thought of saying something, but my body kept moving forward. He really just called me that. So much for times have changed, “We Are the World” bullcrap! You know what, why don’t I say something back? I’ll shut him down real quick. I tried to gather the words to say, but my mind blocked me from putting them together. My brain was like an intense game of scrabble. Why couldn’t I twist words off the tip of my tongue, and hurt this man’s pride like he did mine? The word kept repeating in my mind, like a broken record in a way taunting me.  WHY COULDN’T I SAY ANYTHING! I realized, I could never stoop down that low. To judge someone for something they cannot change, is not who I am. The difference between him and I is

Ignorance.

I’m not even gonna give this racist the time of day. The bus stop is right down the block. To avoid this, I’ll just hurry along before this escalates. I hear a commotion, are they following me? I’m already on my way, Leave me alone! There goes the bus, I need to run. Running seems like the only way to escape the harassment. I ran to the bus, swiped my pass and I smiled to my bus driver. I pulled out my phone to text my mom, 5 percent.

Mom, I’m on the bus. Man do I have a story to tell you.