2. The Meeting
Sitting at home that evening was probably the most un-relaxing experience of my life. I was not accustomed to the dangerous life in Detroit. I was from Boston—a city with crime, yes, but nothing compared to the brutality I'd seen in my time spent in Detroit, Michigan.
I had put the groceries away, ate some dinner and retired on the sofa trying to watch some TV. I just couldn't get into it. Naturally, all I could think about was the young man I had saved earlier. I had never seen anyone quite like him. Attractive, yes. Single? Probably not. Every attractive man I'd come across in my life was taken at some point or another. He looked young though—not too much older or younger than myself. He could have been a college kid home for Thanksgiving break. I shut my eyes and slapped myself. It didn't matter who he was. He was saved from death and that's all that really mattered. I didn't feel I'd ever see him again anyways. With that in mind, I turned of the TV and retreated upstairs to my bed for the night.
The next day came and went just as typical as all the other days before the shooting had come and gone. As I was sitting down eating a quiet dinner with…myself, as usual, there came a knocking at my front door. I was a bit startled, but made my way to the door. I looked through the peep hole and saw three guys standing outside; two black guys and a white guy. I opened the door.
"Good evening…" I said slowly, a bit confused by the sight before me.
"Hi, my name's Bobby Mercer. This is Jeremiah and Angel. We understand that you were the person who saved our younger brother, Jack yesterday in the shooting," Bobby said sincerely.
"Yes, yes I did," I held out my hand and shook their hands. "Pleasure to meet you guys," I said.
"No, the pleasure is all ours, miss," Angel said as he shook my hand.
"Ange," I said with a smile. "Please, call me Ange,"
"Ange, you don't know how much this means to us," Bobby continued.
"Come on inside!" I said finally, realizing they were freezing outside. They all trudged into my house and sat down on the sofa while I sat on the chair.
"As I was saying, Ange, you saved our brother's life—this means so much to us. I don't know if you knew this or not, but our mother was Evelyn Mercer and she was shot a few days ago before Thanksgiving at the corner liquor store, and the possibility that we could have added Jack to that loss is just incomprehensible," Bobby finished.
"Oh I believe it. I'm just glad I was passing by when I was. I am also very sorry about your mother. I did know her well—she would have me over for tea every Tuesday and Thursday when I first came to Detroit. She was one of the few people around who sincerely welcomed me to the area," I said, feeling a pit building in my stomach for the loss of the wonderful Evelyn Mercer.
"Well, we wanted to come and tell you that Jack is in the hospital and is doing just fine," Jeremiah spoke finally.
"Excellent, that's good to hear," I replied.
"The doctor said he should be coming home in a few days or so. They had to do a minor surgery on his shoulder, but it all went out just fine," Jeremiah continued.
"I promised him he'd live," I replied with a smile.
"We just wanted to thank you in person for saving Jack," Bobby said, standing up and getting ready to leave.
"It was no problem at all," I said, feeling a bit awkward, not know what to say.
"Have you eaten yet? We'd love to have you over for dinner. It's the least we can do for what you've done for us," Angel said finally. I smiled, glancing over at the table in the other room, set up for one with cold food on it.
"I was going to eat, but that sounds real nice," I replied, still smiling.
"Come on, dinner's probably ready then," Angel said.
It was one interesting meeting with the three Mercer brothers. I don't recall much from the dinner, except that it was definitely unexpected—and that it was a strange feeling be in Evelyn's house without her there, and after four men had been living there for almost a week. I had met the brothers, but I hadn't met the one I had saved—the one I seemed longing to meet.