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Heroes come in all sizes
By HARLAN WEIKLE
| Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007 |
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BELLEAIR – A story recounting the actions of three young men could easily mean something bad these days – burglary, assault or something equally terrible.
That would be a common reaction, but not all stories play out on the same somber note. Such is the case of Virginia Arabia and what happened to her one day recently.
Having been traveling for the past few weeks, Arabia was back home in her condo near the Belleview Biltmore. Eager to get back to her routine, she had some shopping to do. By late afternoon she returned to her condo. Tired from the busy day and happy to be home, Arabia began unloading her car, a task that would require several round trips. Two or three trips from the car to the elevator and then one final stage, load everything on the elevator and a last leg to her front door. But then, as it sometimes happens, an unexpected twist, a routine interrupted and events take a sinister turn.
Holding the elevator door with one arm and transferring her packages into the cabin with the other, the familiar motion of the elevator doors, their impatience to close and the slight rhythm of touch, hesitate and retreat, went horribly wrong and suddenly Virginia’s arm was clamped firmly between the metal doors. She was trapped and began to cry out for help.
Outside three young friends, Joseph Spencer, 11, Alex Holtz, 14, and Ryan Orr, 12, sat idly soaking in the afternoon sun and talking when they heard what at first they thought must be a baby crying. They began to follow the sound around the side of the building and eventually into the elevator lobby where Virginia had started to worry; if someone should summon the elevator while she was trapped perhaps her arm could be broken. Her hand and fingers were growing numb now and she puzzled at why the doors would not open automatically as they’re supposed to do.
Three boys approached Virginia, strangers she thought, but familiar. They were boys she had seen around the community, but she didn’t know their names. Suddenly Virginia was no longer alone, her panic began to recede.
Failing to open the doors with their first try, one of the boys ran to find help, the other two stayed with Arabia.
After what must have seemed like an eternity, the boy returned with his parents and while the mother comforted Arabia the father managed to pry open the doors. Virginia was freed.
A teacher, Arabia’s world had expanded she later told her class; she had three new friends, her heroes and three new faces to recognize and be grateful for.
Last week Virginia introduced her heroes to her other class at the Homeless Emergency Project, where she teaches etiquette. She hopes the actions of her young heroes can inspire heroism in others.
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Article published on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2007
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