Neighborhood #1 (stranger danger)

I had spent all day shopping with my sisters and cousin Patty, experienced Chipotle for the first time and even received mail (I get excited over mail). The day was winding down; it was mid-July and the neighborhood kids rode their bikes on the streets. Everybody was out on their yards watering their plants. Housewives sat on stoops keeping an eye on their children as they ran around playing tag.

The sun was starting to set when patty decided to head home to Brooklyn. My older sister and I walked Patty to the train station, which was only a block away from my house.  A visit from Patty was rare which is why we always plan on doing a billion things and end up only seeing each other once or twice a year.

            As we stood near Patty while she bought her train ticket a man crossed the street and formed a line behind her. “Does this train go to Hackettstown?” He asked the group but my older sister answered since she is most familiar with the train schedule. Patty and I made our way down the steep stairs and onto the platform then my sister Natali soon came after.

The man from before came down the stairs as well and sat on a bench adjacent to ours. He had on a wrinkled Red Sox tee shirt and carried a heavy backpack. Our conversation with Patty slowly died out once he got on the platform and I became very aware of his presence. I couldn’t recognize him from the neighborhood and figured he wasn’t from around here due the fact he had a backpack. After convincing myself that he was not a threat, I tried to start up a new conversation With Patty and my sister.

He walked over to us asking my sister when the train was going to arrive. My sister told him that the platform we were on was for those going to New York. He seemed to not mind as if he didn’t care where the train was going after all. After a series of questions he finally asked, “do you girls like big dick?”

There was a brief moment of silence and then there it was. My sister who is known for being tough and having a temper was quiet. Her eyes were wide open and I could tell she was shocked. Patty was nearest to the man and had taken a step back and looked at me. Our eyes locked and all I could think of was, “well I guess she is never coming over my house again.”

I was furious! I took a deep breath as if I were to huff and puff and blow a house down. I pointed my finger straight at his face and said, “You need to back the fuck away from me and just go!”

He looked surprised. The look on his face said, “Do they seriously not want the D?”  I continued to yell at him as if I were a police officer an in an authoritative voice I ordered, “put your penis away and step away from us!”

His eyes were blood shot and his face was pasty and white. I tried really hard to remember his face as he looked at us confused and scared. He kind of resembled Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia which is the description I gave to the police later on. The man jumped on the train tracks and ran away. Before I knew it patty and Natali were running up the stairs and were back on the street. I ran right after them scared that I would trip going up.

The sun had already set and the streetlights were on. The kids on the their bikes were headed home and suddenly the neighborhood that I had grown up in didn’t feel as safe as before. I was embarrassed by the incident but proud that I stepped up to the plate and took initiative. Before we could even register what had happened we heard the sound of the train coming. Patty hugged us and kissed us goodbye. And ran back down into the platform and got on the train.

A million things came to mind as she got on the train. What if he got on it too and follows her home? What if he didn’t get on the train and follows me home?