The Brick
Note: I have no idea if this is based on a true story
or if it's another Urban Legend, either way,
I thought it was worth sharing.
A few years ago, a young and very successful
executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago
neighborhood street.
He was going a bit too fast in his sleek,
black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE,
which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids darting out from
between the cars and slowed down when he thought
he saw something.
As his car passed, no child darted out,
but a brick sailed out and WHUMP!
smashed into the Jag's shiny black side door!
SCREECH...!!!
Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse,
and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the
spot from where the brick had been thrown.
Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid
and pushed him up against a parked car.
He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about
and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?!"
Building up a head of steam, he went on.
"That's my new Jag, that brick you threw is
gonna cost a lot of money!
Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please...I'm sorry!
I didn't know what else to do!"
Pleaded the youngster, "I threw the brick because
no one else would stop!"
Tears were dripping down the boy's chin as he
pointed around the parked car.
"It's my brother, mister," he said.
"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his
wheelchair and I can't lift him up."
Sobbing, the boy asked the executive,
"Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair?
He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately
to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.
Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair
and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts,
checking to see that everything was going to be OK.
He then watched the younger brother push him down
the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining,
12-cylinder Jaguar XKE-a long and slow walk.
Josh never did fix the side door of the Jaguar.
He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so unaware,
that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention...
Some bricks are softer than others.
This page was created September 28, 1999