Heavyweight Short: Hallie

Khalila Holt. Yeah, heavyweight producer.

Uh huh?

Dancer no, singer?

M No?

Did I say heavyweight producer?

Yeah?

And today you're going to be more than just a I shouldn't say just today. Today, you're you're going to be presenting us with a story. Yes, I'm excited about.

It, thank you.

I am too, in anticipation of the season coming up in the fall. Yes, we're going to be We're going to be doing some smaller stories. But smaller is that the right word, because they're they're not small and significance, they're.

Just short, kind of just shorter. Yeah.

Does it? Does it feel condescending to call them mini episodes?

Mmm?

Lightweight?

I think that's more condescending. Why don't we just call it like heavyweight.

Shorts, heavyweight shorts.

For summer, shorts for summer.

All right, fine, let's call them heavyweight short. And you're going to be presenting us with our inaugural heavyweight short.

Yes, today's heavyweight short, Hallie. Right after the break, Hallie keeps coming back to a brief interaction she had with a stranger when she was seventeen years old. The whole thing only lasted a few minutes, but those minutes, she says, set the course for the rest of her life, and the stranger has remained on her mind ever since.

Eh, God, like once or twice a year, I think about her.

How long has it been now?

This was August of twenty twelve, so it's been almost nine years.

Nine years ago, Hallie was in high school and dating her first serious boyfriend. She was sexually active for the first time and becoming increasingly anxious about not being on birth control. In health class, the teacher always said to talk to your mom about birth control, but Halle's mom was prone to unpredictable mood swings and could sometimes get violent. The two no longer spoke, so Halle lived with her dad, a strict and religious man who believed it was morally

Timed it so that my dad would be at work because it's a you know, it's it's a small town. We were worried about our car being spotted in the parking lot. I was absolutely shitting myself. I was trembling. I was so frightened.

The clinic was on a busy street and had lots of windows. Hollie felt exposed even being there. Once she worked up the nerve to approach the woman behind the reception desk, she began to explain her situation.

I'm interested in getting on birth control, but it cannot show up on any kind of billion statement because my dad will notice. I'm sure she must have seen how scared we were, because it was something clicked like it was it felt like one of those It felt like one of those moments, one of those like unspoken conversations that sometimes happened between women where one just recognizes the

I don't know.

I don't know what I was gonna I have no idea what I was going to do at that point, probably drop it.

But the receptionist didn't drop it. She suggested calling Planned Parenthood, and when Halle was too scared to call, the receptionist said that she would call for her.

And she just used the phone right there at the office and pretended to be meet She gave them my name, and she just like she just asked all of the questions that I was too scared to ask, and she made an appointment in my name.

Even though Halle's interaction with the receptionist was brief, she offered Halle more than anyone else had. She didn't shame Halle, betray her confidence, or judge her. She made her feel looked after like a caring mother would.

I went on to graduate from college and I'm now currently living abroad pursuing my master's degree. But I just can't help but think, you know, I know that none of it would have been possible if I'd if I'd gotten pregnant instead, especially then, like, oh my god, imagine trying to deal with like a pregnancy and a very religious father.

Holy shit.

And so Hallie and I are talking today because she wants my help in finding the receptionist so she can let her know what an impact she had.

I want to say thank you so much for seeing how scared I was, and for making a scary situation manageable and just you know, holding my hand through this and making sure that I was okay.

I mean, she's the reason I'm okay.

But I didn't have the I didn't have that presence of mine to thank her.

And what do you remember about just like what she looked like? I'm assuming you don't remember her name.

I don't remember her first her last name.

No. I remember her being kind of a heavier sight, black woman wearing scrubs, which probably won't help, you know, but that.

Makes sense, I think.

I in my mind, she kind of had like long braids that went down to like maybe down to her waist. But that's how I've always That's how I've always remembered her, and I don't know how much of that is embellishment, but I would.

I don't know why I would make any of that up.

It's not much to go on, but I promised to try to find the receptionist. Luckily, Hallie's sister remembers which clinic they went to that day because it was where their gynecologists worked. I call the clinic and explained to a test turned man that I'm trying to find out who worked reception in twenty twelve because a woman who talked to that person for a few minutes a decade ago wants to talk to her again about something I can't get into at the moment. Will you help me

I guess, I just I've been wanting to thank this person for so long, and I guess I'm worried I'm not going to do a good job.

You haven't told her everything, right?

I didn't. Yeah, I mean I told her sort of the broad stroke. I'd spoken to Markeina, just briefly, explaining that she'd helped a young woman named Halle long ago. It didn't ring a bell. Still, Markina said that she was happy to talk. Should we call? Do you feel you feel ready?

Yes, let's call.

Hi.

This is Markina Markina. Hi, It's Kalila and Hallie calling.

Hi.

How are you? I'm good?

How are you?

I'm well?

Thank you.

Hallie pauses trying to figure out what to say, and then, just as she did nine years ago, she swallows her fear and begins.

So when I was seventeen years old, I was I was sexually active, and I couldn't talk to my parents about it. Me and my younger sister explain the situation, like, we're interested in getting on birth control pills, but our father is the type of person who goes over bills with a fine tooth comb.

And if you, oh my gosh, I do remember you?

You do?

I do remember you? Really?

Oh, cry baby, I'm so sorry.

You do remember this?

Really?

I do?

I do?

I do?

And I remember calling my boss you do, that's right, asking her.

Like, okay, I don't want to get in trouble, but I want to help her.

But do you remember what you did next?

You're even after your boss said you guys couldn't help, because I think it would, it would have understandably violated a bunch of ethical you still didn't stop. You called planned parent and you made an appointment in my name. Uh huh. And then the next the following week, I was able to keep that appointment and I got on birth control, and I was Okay. I just think about how lucky I was that you were there that day, and I want to say thank you, thank you so much.

I have.

Daughters and I was once that scared teenager that needed help. So I always try to be that mother.

For someone, or that for someone, or that just someone for someone.

No, you were you.

That's that's exactly what I needed, and that's exactly who you were. It would have been so easy for you to just after talking to your boss, to say I'm sorry, I can't help you, but uh, I just wanted you to know that I've never forgotten what you did, and for the last nine years I've thought about you. I went on and got my bachelor's degree and I'm actually in the middle of pursuing my master's right now, and I have just always thought that might not have been possible.

If I didn't get the help I needed.

Markina, what is what is the thing that you remember like about that day? Like what is it that rang a bell for you?

When she said when she explained to me about her father.

In that moment, it didn't matter about work, it didn't matter about whatever if I was, if I was to be rolled up, you know what, I'm taking one for the team.

I knew I could not just leave her be like I had to help her because it was somebody that helped me. My father molested me, and.

I had no one to talk to, and I was afraid to tell people. One day, I was walking There's a it's a bridge on one of our streets, and I had went through something terrible that night, I'll say that, and it had something to do with my father. So that morning I decided, you know what, I'm out of here. So I was walking over this bridge and my head was down. I was sad, of course, and there was this man that appeared. We were just walking past each other, and he stopped and he said, whatever it is, it

Me, to hear you, to hear you talk about your past, and now revisit that moment, knowing where you were coming from, m.

Is remarkable.

I'm so I'm so so grateful that you saw me that day and didn't just like see me in front of you, but you saw what I needed and I remember you like one of the very first things you said was you said you were proud of me for coming in, which was I think exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.

And I'm so proud of you. Now, thank you so much. You're welcome, You are so welcome.

Halle recently visited Whitefish Bay. She asked Martina if she could see her, and Martina said she'd like that. She still works for the same healthcare network, although at a different clinic, and she told Hallie to come say hi. During the work day, Hallie brought Markina flowers. She drove to the clinic, walked inside the door, and didn't care who saw her. This Heavyweight short was produced by me Khalila Holt along with Stevie Lane, Moheeney mcgauker, and Jonathan Goldstein.