“Gee whiz, look at the time! Bid Daddy, I'm off now.” Hanging up his apron in his locker, Shawn gave the aging cook a wave. He grabbed his jacket, throwing it on as he started to leave. His shift ended an hour ago, but he always got caught up in the rush and ended up leaving when it was dark outside. It should not be a big deal, but a black man like himself should not be out on the streets after curfew.

The place he worked at was the only colored diner in town, not that there was a sign that said “no whites allowed.” The owners would not mind at all if some peaceful white folk wanted to come inside to dine. Shawn doubted that would happen anytime soon.

Shelly was a tall gal and her husband Randy was a short guy with a huge fro to make him seem taller. Shawn thought they were the grooviest couple he knew. He was older than both of them by at least ten years. They often teased him because he did not have a lady friend and he was pushing thirty.

“Just a moment, Shawn.”

Pausing, he turned around to see the cook walking over to him. The cook placed a bag in his hands. Shawn grinned, feeling a flush come to his cheeks. All the money he had was used to pay his rent and to care for his little sister. There were many days when Shawn went without eating so that she could. Big Daddy knew this.

“Thank you, Leroy.”

Leroy was like a father to Shawn. He was nearly seventy, though he didn't let that stop him.

“There is enough there for you and a lady friend.”

Shawn rolled his eyes. “Oh daddy'o, you know I don't have a sweetie in my life.” Everyone thought Leroy was somewhat “out to lunch” but he was a great guy. Shawn took the food, knowing it would be his only meal until tomorrow night.

“If you write more of your fancy music, you can reel one in,” Leroy said with a barking laugh.

Next to his sister, music was Shawn's life. He could play almost anything and even had a decent voice, if he thought so himself. Everyone at the diner always asked about his music.

“I'll keep that in mind,” He told him. Leaving the store, he looked around, wary of what could be waiting around the corner. He was not a huge man, though not a small man by any means either and he knew a thing or two about defending himself. His Momma made sure they learned young. He hadn't been targeted in his adult years, but he remembered as a child, how often he would get teased and in the worst cases beat to a bloody pulp.

If a black kid hit a white kid, he'd find himself in loads of trouble, but if a white kid hit a black kid, it seemed nobody cared, or else everyone was too afraid to do anything about it.

Not Shawn. He'd defend a kid, even an adult, if he saw someone messing with them.

About to turn the corner that would lead to his street, his ears pick up something they shouldn't be hearing, at least three guys hooting and hollering and the sound of a girl pleading for them to leave her alone.

'I won't let this go. It's a low blow for anyone to be ganging up on a woman, no matter her skin color.'

When he ran around the corner, he got a big shock, because the boys were white as he expected, but the girl was white as well.

'Picking on their own kind?' He took one look at the woman and saw that her dress had been ripped, she had a bruise on her cheek and her things were scattered around her feet. The boys looked about fifteen or sixteen, all smartly dressed. Rich kids.

'They are aiming to gang-' He couldn't even finish his thought. The idea was too repulsive for him to think.

'I have to make sure she is safe! I have to step in. Think about this being your sister. You would hope someone helped her! How can they do this to her?' Shawn put down his package, cracked his knuckles and ran head first into the main kid, the one who looked to be the leader. Everyone was shocked to see a big black guy pop out of nowhere. To these boys he must really seem huge, because now that he was closer, he saw that they were just skinny little kids.

He could only imagine the terror that must be in the girl's eyes, but he hoped she realized he was trying to help. Most whites distrust blacks. Shawn couldn't blame her if she felt wary. It was how they were raised.

The first kid got a punch to the gut. He doubled over in pain and Shawn held back, giving him a chance to run. The other two seem unsure if they should attack him or flee.

“Go,” He grunted to them. “Now.”

The sound in his voice got the two followers moving. They looked at each other with wide frightened eyes and raced away, leaving their leader cursing after them. The leader took a step toward Shawn as if to attack, but stopped.

Taking a step back, he glanced at the girl quickly to make sure she was out of harms way, almost missing the knife the kid pulled. He came toward him with a yell.

“Big mistake.” And it was a big mistake, because now his life had been threatened and his only choice was to protect myself. He sidestepped, grabbed the arm that held the knife and twisted. He heard a crunch.

'I know I broke something. Part of me regrets having to go that far and I can only hope the girl doesn't think I'm a monster.'

The boy dropped to the ground, tears coming to his eyes.

“Don't ever do this again, you hear me? You go home and you tell your friends.” He nudged him, bent down and picked up the dropped knife. “Go. Rethink your values.”

The boy stood up and ran as if the devil chased after him. He looked again at the girl, trying to figure out if her terror was because of what he had done to the boy or because of what the kids might have done to her if he had not showed up.

He went over to her. “Are you all right lady?” He offered her his hand, knowing the chance of her taking it was not very good.