The Red Blanket

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

A while ago we had a car accident. Due to wet conditions, we hit a pole during a turn. No one was hurt, thank God, but the car itself looked pretty bad.

One passerby saw the wreck and the four of us standing on the sidewalk. He said “I already called 911. Did you leave the car on?”

In our rush to get the kids out of the car we had forgotten about that. He shut off the ignition for us and handed us the keys. After he saw the police arrive, he waved to them, and left.

Another passerby wordlessly handed me a red blanket and walked away. It was a chilly morning, and he must have seen the baby in the car seat and my shivering toddler.

Photograph by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

I’ve held on to that red blanket, a bright reminder of the two nameless men who gave us a helping hand, and then left without a trace.

Tangible evidence of the kindness that still exists in the world.