This might be close to the hundredth time I've told this story.
It made me a hero, beloved across America. It made me easily the most respected man in LA. People see me on the streets and want to shake my hand, congratulating me on a job well done. I kind of like the attention though. I used to always be invisible and blend in. Not in a bad way, but sometimes it feels good to be noticed.
Well, I'm definitely noticed now.
Everyone I've ever known called me that week, wanting to hear the story.
"What happened?" They would ask.
"I want to hear it from you, the source."
I always just give them all the same answer.
All of them.
The press, my friends, my family, even my own mother.
I would say something took over me and I ran to her aid.
I knew exactly what to do. I dived and she fell right into my arms.
And I did it because I'm a hero.
Because I'm a role model, an example if a good citizen.
That story seemed to work with everyone. To be honest, it's a pretty good story, and very realistic.
I really wish it were real.
That story makes me look like I actually knew what I was doing. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what I did when it happened.
One second I was walking down the street to buy a bagel.
The next thing I knew, an absolutely terrified teenager was sitting in my arms, crying her eyes out, sincerely thanking me between sobs. I looked around. Crowd? There's a cried of people in front of me.
Everyone looked at me with relieved, scared, and worried expressions, like I was a second grader who just fell off of a bike. It took me a second to realize I was on the ground, still cradling her in my arms.
I looked down at my clothes. Wow, I look like I've just been hit by a truck!
I was so confused.
The noise from the crowd and police was probably deafening, but all I could process was her cries and (barely) my own thoughts.
At this point, her hysterical cries of terror are now just quiet whimpers. She rolls over on top of me and looked into my eyes,
and that's when it hit me.
Like a broken dam, the memories flooded into my mind and I remembered exactly what happened.
I walked in front of a tall building and I heard a faint shout. I, for some reason, looked up. I saw a small figure in the sky.
A bird, I thought.
As I stared at it, I realized it was getting closer and closer,
and was definitely not a bird.
The figure was much larger than a bird with,
long brown hair?
Oh my God, a girl is plummeting from the sky!
She just fell,
coming straight down and I had NO idea what to do.
I tried to scream, but no words came out.
I tried to get help, but I could barely move.
And she just fell.
She came closer and closer. I felt myself jump into the air, tackling her to the ground.
My scratches definitely prove that.
She was completely in shock for a few minutes, but those minutes felt like hours. Like, for hours, I held this shaking being close to my chest.
As the minutes passed, she moved her index finger,
then her hand,
then her arm.
She opened her eyes, as if she's expecting to see the devil himself and cringed.
And I thought she looked scared before.
She looked absolutely terrified to find out who or what was cradling her.
Maybe she thought she was about to stare death, right in the face.
My thoughts were erased from my mind as she pulled my gray jacket against her face and sobbed. Her cries became louder and louder,
and here we are.
As I mentioned, her cries lowered in volume and she just laid there in her own sweat and tears, only a few slipping out now and then. I snapped out of my trance and cleared my throat. I mustered up what was left of my strength and said all I possibly could,
"are you okay?"
The tears slowed down and she whispered what I only can imagine would be the best thing to say in this situation,
"I'm better than okay, I'm alive."
I smiled, surprising the both of us.
Then she smiled.
The tears stopped, and now it was my turn to cry.
It wasn't a cry of terror, like her, but tears of pure happiness.
Because that was when I realized.
I just saved this girls life.
"Oh my god! Jess! My baby! Move out of my way!"
A woman emerges from the growing crowd.
Why are people crowding me?
Well, I guess the girl in my hands practically looks dead.
I can only assume her name is Jess, with this woman coming towards me calling that name.
Nice name, I thought.
Cute, really.
"Please, excuse me! I need to see my baby. Oh lord, Jess I-"
and that's all she said.
She saw Jess's face and dropped to her knees.
She dropped as if the very sight of her daughter (I'm assuming) physically broke her heart.
Then she cried.
But not a frightened, loud, obnoxious cry, like what I just endured from "Jess".
She stared at the girl in my embrace and just allowed the tears to stream down her face.
Not exactly in pain, or relief.
Not exactly in anger, or remorse.
Maybe this was just too much to handle.
She grabbed my shoulders and shook me a bit; probably to make sure I was listening.
Something tells me she's not going to repeat herself.
I was sure of it when she looked into my eyes tears still flowing.
They expressed a mixture of seriousness and hope. I don't think I've ever seen pure hope in someone's eyes before...
She looked straight into my eyes, and finally she spoke.
"My Jess."
Her eyes gestured towards my chest.
"Will she be okay?"
The hope in her eyes grew larger as I take a deep breath.
"Yes, she will." I whispered.
She immediately rose to her feet and raised her hands and face to the sky.
The tears actually stopped.
She just stood there, taking in the warmth of the sun.
Or she was praying.
Either way, she attracted attention.
The police escorted her away.
Wait, police?
I look to my left. I look to my right.
There are police everywhere!
I was shocked.
They came towards me and asked me to hand over the girl.
I gave her to them and she clung to the poor policeman for dear life!
They put her in an ambulance and one policewoman approached me.
She spoke firmly and intimidating,
"Would you like us to bring you to the hospital?"
I nod and she puts me in a police car.
I'm sitting next to her rejoicing mother.
Well, I can see the rejoicing in her face.
She's not actually saying anything.
I tried not to look at her, because when I did, she looked like she was going to cry again.
When we reached the hospital, I've regained the strength that was knocked out of me during that traumatic event. We are both
escorted through the hospital to Jess' room. I watched Jess' mother take a few deep breaths. We both walked in to see Jess'
watching the hospital Room TV while eating a fruit cup. Jess hears the door open, and looks towards us both.
She looked at me and smiles.
She looks at her mother, and her smile fades. She lies back down and continues eating her fruit cup.
Jess' mother grabbed the bridge of her nose and looked down at the floor, shaking her head.
"Does it hurt?"
"Does what hurt?"
"You. Anywhere. Are you feeling okay?"
"OF COURSE I'M NOT OKAY! I JUST GOT THROWN OFF A-"
Jess took a deep breath.
"Never mind, I didn't expect you to care."
"How could you say that? I care about you."
Jess' mom said softly approaching her daughter's hospital bed.
"Don't lie to me."
"Jess, I love you."
"You're LYING! No one cares about me, why would I expect you to."
"What about all the things I've done for you? That must count for something."
"You've never done anything for me."
Those words must have hit Jess' mom hard, because her face turned from hurt to shock. Then she looked angry.
"Oh, I've never done anything for you? How about letting you live in my house? Giving you your own room? You ate my food, used my money and let's not forget hiding from Arthur, and you have the nerve to say I haven't done anything for you?"
"You did it because you had to."
"I did it because I love you."
"You don't love me! No one does."
Jess' mom sat at the foot of the hospital bed.
"Jessica, I'm serious"
"No you're not!"
"Watch your mouth."
"Stop lying to me"
"Don't call your mother a liar!"
"You are a liar, I HATE YOU!"
Then the room fell silent.
After what seemed like forever, Jess' mom stood up and took a small piece of paper and a pen out of her purse. She scribbled
something on the paper and quickly shoved it towards me. "If you need me..." And that's all I heard before she stormed off.
The paper had a phone number on it.
I probably should have guessed that.