the price of admission of guilt

Temporary Digs

Yesterday I was in a meeting for two hours at a client's office. When I got out, I listened to my voicemails. My 4yearold daughter's teacher: Abby has a fever. It is 12:30. You need to pick her up right away. (It was 2:30 when I got this message). My husband: I'm on my way to pick up Abby. You need to come home right away. I'm editing a video at an agency and need to get it out today...And then about four more from my husband.

As I dialed home to explain while mom-guilt doom developed at a stop light, the car in front of me ran over a man. Well, not exactly over, but down. He crumpled in front of the white car clutching his legs and writhing. And i couldn't look away, and I couldn't figure out what I was supposed to do because my husband had picked up the phone at that moment and all I could do was tell him exactly what was happening as it happened. It went like this:

Where you at?

Oh my god, a man just got run over.

What? Run over? A man got run over?

Yeah. Uh. A man is run over. He's on the ground. This guy, this guy in a white car just ran him over. He was trying to turn right on red. He was looking left and... I can't tell if the guy is a homeless guy or what. He's very well dressed and he's holding his legs.

(A nice thing I guess, to dress nicely if you're going to be making a scene under a car later that day.)

Call the cops. You need to call the cops.

But I can't I'm talking to you.

Hang up and call the cops.

But now the driver is getting out. He's pulling the guy up and he's opening his wallet and he's handing him a bunch of cash. Oh my god, the guy is just limping away with a handful of cash.

And as I sat there watching it all, cell phone to ear, the driver got back into his car and completed his right turn and drove away. In my stupor, I actually contemplated giving the guy a few bucks as well. I did have a little extra cash for parking meters.