J and C and Me

….instead of the trivial.  For once.

So I’ve been doing the so.zo thing for over a year.  And I love it, I do.  But honestly this week is the first time that I’ve experienced the actuall mission of it….to be there for people in need.  Usually I just make coffee.

First off….both the volunteer and I almost called in sick.  I ate WAY too many cookies and was feeling under the weather.  She ran for 13 miles and it wrecked her (yeah…what a comparison).  But we both ended up being there.

It was quiet, and really slow all night.  Thankfully WVU won their football game (I honestly would have been scared to be there if they had lost) which just meant that everyone outside was crazy.

Early on in the evening it started raining and two guys came in…just wanting to know if it was okay to hang out and get in out of the rain.  They did the usual “this place is so cool, what is this place??” thing for awhile, then sat down to talk.  They were from out of town and were in for the game.  Were totally out of their element on High Street….but trying to fit in (in maybe an unhealthy way).  They sat down and talked with us for a good half an hour.  Turns out they were really nice boys, go to church every week back home.  We just talked general stuff….about what they were going to school for….what we (me, the volunteer and her friend) do….and what was going on outside (the wave of scantily clad drunk people making their way to the bars).

I have no clue where they went when they joined their friends and left.  Maybe even joined the wave of people (they had already been drinking, so….) but it was a really interesting conversation….and I think it made them wonder about what it was they were trying to be a part of.

Then all was quiet for a few more hours, we just sat around and talked.  About 11:30 a guy came in…all by himself.

I jumped up and went behind the counter and asked him what I could get for him, and he looked at me with these big, scared eyes….stammered for a minute, then said “I don’t know how to get home.”

I wasn’t really sure how to respond.  Sometimes we have homeless people come in and say that they are trying to get home…just need a little money for a bus ticket, etc.

But he didn’t look homeless.  And it didn’t sound like that’s what he was asking for.

So I asked him how I can help him to get home….and he just shook his head.  He didn’t know.  I asked where home was, if he lived in Morgantown….he didn’t know.  He was just terribly disoriented…and kinda frightened.

I got him some coffee….hoping maybe that would help.  And we’re starting to wonder what it is he was there for.  I mean…was he going to try and rob us to have money to get home?  He didn’t seem violent, but you never know.  Should we call the police?  Should we call for an ambulance? I mean he’s up, and walking, and awake…but just about completely unable to function…and I think he knew it.  His eyes were really…there….but he couldn’t seem to make his mind catch up.

We finally got him talking a little.  Found out he did not live in town.  He did have friends, but could not tell us their names.  He lost his cell phone.  He couldn’t remember his parents number, or any phone number.  he gave us his wallet.  Took everything in it out.  Gave us all his credit cards, all his ID, everything…asking us to help call someone.

There was nothing in there though.  Nothing to help us find someone to call.

Finally he spit out his girlfriend’s name.  We ran her name and state through zabasearch and thankfully, she was the only person with that name.

So I called her house….and woke up her mom.  Who was very very polite…and I felt so bad because I knew I was just scaring her to death.  I wasn’t really sure what to say…so I told her who we had there.  She was very worried because they were supposed to be together, and we had no clue where she was.  I explained that he was lost, didn’t have his cell, and was very….out of it.  She was very concerned, asked to talk to him.

I gave the phone to him and it was heartbreaking to hear this grown man (he was a professional, not a college student) say to her “I’m so sorry.  I’m so lost.      Will you please come and get me.”

That was all he could say.  He had no clue what had happened to him…or where the girlfriend was.  He gave the phone back…the mom said she would call the girl’s cell then call us back.

After that he started getting a little more lucid…and terribly apologetic.  Was totally clueless how he came to be in this situation.

A few minutes later the girlfriend came in.  She was really upset, crying…and more than a little angry.  And they left. Just like that.

By this time it was REALLY late.  And we were just so glad to have helped him.

But then all during the drive home….I kept thinking about them.  And just worrying…if i was okay just to let them go like that.  I mean…were they with others that would help them get home?  What if there was something really wrong with him and it went unnoticed because of the oddness of the situation.

I talked with someone at church today and the didn’t think it would be too weird if I called to follow up….so I did (I did look up the mom’s name first, so I’d at least know who to ask for this time).  She was still very nice (thank goodness).  They did make it home, safely.  They are still really not sure what happened…thinking that maybe someone put something in one of his drinks.  He and the girlfriend had been together all evening, until they got seperated…and she really didn’t think he’d drank enough to damage him like that.

Honestly…I didn’t think it was just him being drunk either.

In any case…everything worked out okay.  I felt totally out of my element though.  And it really gave me pause to hear him say “I don’t know how to get home.”

So I guess that part of what we’re all about.  Trying to help people get home.  Physically, or spritually….or sometimes both.  I know I didn’t do anything for him spiritually (other than pray)….but at least we helped him find his physical home.