I meet the reporter and tell my story. While I am speaking with the reporter a woman pulls up in her car, shows me pictures of her husband, in the hospital, stating the police put him there....I don't know her story but I'm sure shes just looking for some answers, just like the rest. The reporter asks if I mind taping a segment. As I said before, Im the girl in class that would have done anything to avoid standing up and giving a speech or presentation. I have no fear, I tell the reporter to start rolling. The entire interview was live and unrehearsed. The only interview I had ever done were for jobs before....and let me tell you, I was nervous as hell for those with heart racing and sweaty palms....and those answers were rehearsed. Not this time....live fire, ask away.
Standing there on the street in front of the police station the reporter tells me to pretend the camera isnt there, just look at the reporter. I wait for the reporter to ask questions as I am not sure where to start. The reporter asks question after question and I never had to hesitate with an answer, I knew I was wronged, I knew what I was fighting for, I knew I wasnt backing down. I am not sure where you can find the story on the website anymore, but the interview was with channel 4 news New Orleans....wwltv.com
We wrap things up and I thank the reporter for taking an interest and helping me be heard. The camera man stays a few more minutes for footage and they are off to the next story. I stay on the curb, with my sign. A woman approaches me, encourages me that standing up is the right thing to do. She is a comfort more than she knows, she wasnt embarrassed to be standing by the road next to a woman of a different race announcing she had been raped. She stood there with me, in conversation for quite a while, she was waiting for her husband to come pick her up. While we are standing there I get a phone call, Its almost noon, checkout time at the hotel. My mom is pissed, she wants to know whats been going on and why I have been leaving her alone for almost the entire second half of the trip. I tell her I am on my way back to the hotel now and will explain everything. I have to. I ask the woman who so kindly stood by my side where the best place to get a cab was.... she tells me her husband will drive me... I ask if where I was staying was out of the way from where she was going, she said no....im still not sure if that was true. But I am forever grateful to this woman, for standing by me, for taking a perfect stranger across town, for believing me.
The woman's husband comes, she tells him to take me where I need to go, he is more than kind and never complained just told me to get in. I climb in the back seat and thank him right away. Its a little strange to be in the back seat, getting a ride back having both people in the front seat know what I have just been through and done. They have a conversation between themselves and I sit silently, reflecting on the past few hours, shocked at myself at what I had done. As we are pulling up to the hotel I ask the couple if they have children, they say yes. I hand them the package of markers I had bought. I didnt need them, i put the one black marker to use for my sign. I thank them again and head inside. Time to face my mother.
I had no clue how to tell her so I just came right out and said it. I was attacked. I took care of it. I handled things the way I handled things. I couldnt tell her because I needed to do what I had to do, without seeing her face of sympathy, or her face of anger. I explained how every time I went off on my own I was either dealing with the hospital or the police. I told her I went to the news. She didnt know what to say other than, "why didnt you come to me." She didnt understand why I couldnt come to her, I come to her with everything. This was different. This was something I had no idea how to handle, no idea what to do, no idea what I was going to do. I was improvising. I was doing whatever popped into my head. No time to think . There would be time to think when Im on my way back to NY, while im home in NY unable to control anything.
We went to lunch, an uncomfortable lunch. She has questions. I give one word answers and change the subject. I cant give her answers because I hadn't been given any. Uncomfortable random conversations for the entire lunch. Any topic that came to mind came up...anything but the past few days...if there was an awkward silence a random strange topic conversation would come about...what else could I do.
The cab ride to the airport was completely silent. I can only imagine what was running through the cab drivers mind. Quickly checked in and off to the terminal. We are about 2 hours early for our flight. Nothing but time on my hands.
I plug my blackberry in and start my research.....not of laws, not of victims rights. I research the men. The Thursday night we had met I had seen most of their Licenses...I remembered 2 of their full names. One was my friend, the other was one that I remembered because his last name is an action hero of the movies (i will now refer to him as "action friend" ....because I can). I also remember that action friend worked in a certain field which I will not disclose. Needless to say, thank you google I now know exactly where he works...i know the exact address of his company. He also has a facebook, unaccessable to public posting but has one none the less. I also find my friend on the internet. I remembered certain things of what he told me. I was able to find the exact location of where he also works. His picture online looks nothing like he looks now with the Chuck Norris beard. He also has a protected facebook. From finding action friend and friend online, I was able to find the last name of a third man ( I had known his first name, but never got his last....until now). Oh how the internet has changed things. 3rd man also has a facebook....im not sure if its protected, him and I hadnt had as much to do with eachother as action friend and friend.
Time to board...I found 3 of these men in less than 2 hours.... I will get answers... somehow. (this is in no way a threat of violence toward these men.....im just showing how you can find just about anyone if you search long enough, deep enough)
We are getting closer to real time...
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