quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner
with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to
stash the quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go to
eat," she told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the
elevator.
As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already
aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an
intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: "These
two are going to rob me." Her next thought was: "Don't be a bigot;
they look like perfectly nice gentlemen." But racial stereotypes are
powerful, and immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men.
She felt anxious, flustered and ashamed. She hoped they didn't read
her mind but gosh, they had to know what she was thinking!!!
Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too obvious
now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a
mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and
followed with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye
contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as
they closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then
another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed
her. "My God," she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her
heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do
what they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw
out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins
rained down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More
seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if
you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the
button." The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words
out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted
her head
and up at the two men They reached down to help her up. Confused, she
struggled to her feet. "When I told my friend here to hit the floor,"
said the average sized one, "I meant that he should hit the elevator
button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am."
He spoke genially. He bit his lip It was obvious he was having a hard
time not laughing. The woman thought: "My God, what a spectacle I've
made of myself." She was too humiliated to speak. She wanted to
blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you apologize to
two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were
going to rob you? She didn't know what to say. The three of them
gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the
elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to her
room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid
she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a
good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring
with laughter as they walked back to the elevator. The woman brushed
herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for
dinner with her husband.
The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses.
Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill.
The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years."
It was signed:
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan
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