Hero

I have to say I was blown away when Robert informed me that he had written this. It was because of this writing that Robert ended up interviewing The Eye...

HERO

By Robert "Horror Bob" Masters

For Horror Bob's Blog

When I went to surprise my new friend and my first interview on my blog, William Pattison, known to Friday the 13^th fans as Eric Morse, for lunch I didn’t realize it would be so inspiring and eye opening.

I arrived around eleven-thirty in the morning at the San Mateo County Assessor/Recorder Office, where William works as a foreclosure journalist, which means he sits in front of a county computer and types the information from the Notices of Trustee Sales and assessor information into his laptop to be used to create a newsletter for foreclosure investors. I asked a very nice lady at the front desk if she knew William. She immediately pointed at a row of small cubicles, each with a computer in them. William was on the opposite side from me. I could see his tan hat with the words “DOCUMENT JOURNALIST” in dark blue letters peeking up from behind the cubicle wall.

I went around the cubicle and tapped William on his shoulder and said hello. He looked up at me and I noticed he had earphones on. He took off his hat and pulled off his ear phones. I noticed he had a peach fuzz amount of white hair on his head, which he’d shaved it a couple weeks before. He asked if he could help me. I introduced myself and he was surprised. I guess he doesn’t get very many guests at the office. I invited him to go out to lunch, realizing he might not be able to take the time away from his work. He smiled and said it would be his pleasure; the only thing was he was limited in funds. I told him lunch was on me.

Before we left the office, William introduced me to the lady in the cubicle on the other side of him. The lady’s name was Amy and she is the publisher of the newsletter William does the research for. She was very nice and told us to have a good time.

As we were leaving the office asked William for a suggestion on where we could go. He initially suggested Subway; I told him we could do better than that. He suggested a sandwich shop he knew called Sandwich Spot. Funny enough it was near the Subway. We actually enter to restaurant from the back door. William said it was the way all the cool people went.

Upon entering the establishment there was a blare of rock and roll music. This sub shop must be extremely popular because it was loaded. There was a line that started nearly at the entrance. I suggested we go somewhere else, but William assured me that we wouldn’t be waiting too long. I was surprised to find he was right. Amazingly enough we ordered and paid for our food within ten minutes. We ended up sitting outside in a courtyard area. Though it was cold outside the sub shop had heating unites outside so it was fairly comfortable. Our sandwiches came rather quickly after. These were wonderful sandwiches. We both had the same thing, a sandwich called The Manwich. They had pastrami, roast beef, turkey, and salami.

As we ate we talked horror. William has a wonderful knowledge of classic horror. We talked about Universal horror films and Hammer. We even chatted briefly about an old Amegus film we both enjoyed but has become a lost treasure, The Asphyx.

It was around this time that an event happened that totally changed the flavor of our luncheon.

A woman and her mother entered the sandwich shop. The woman who had at one time been very attractive now had a scar across her face. William immediately recognized her. He excused himself and went over to her. I followed close behind because I knew something was up.

William greeted the woman and asked her if she was all right. The woman looked at him quizzically and asked if she knew him. He informed her that he was the one who saved her life. She looked at him surprised and then she hugged him. I was amazed.

William explained to me that a few weeks ago he had been out to get food for him and his sister when he had come upon the woman, whose name we found out was Guadalupe, and her husband fighting. Her husband pulled a razor blade knife and slashed her face with it. William interceded and had to hit Guadalupe’s husband in the head with a garbage can to stop his attack on her. Guadalupe had run away from the scene and her husband had also fled in the opposite direction. According to Guadalupe she ran to her mother’s house. Her mother rushed her to the emergency and the police were informed. With tears in her eyes, Guadalupe informed us that she had just been to her doctor and that he had informed her that she was going to have a permanent scar across her face.

According to Guadalupe her husband attacked her because he thought she had been out with another man. In fact she had been at her mother’s house. According to Guadalupe her husband is now in custody and is awaiting trial for attempted murder.

William gave her one of his business cards and told her if she needed him to testify he’d be more than happy to. Guadalupe’s mother, Mrs. Gonzales, was in tears the whole time William and her daughter were relaying the story to me. Mrs. Gonzales also prayed and asked the Virgin Mary to bless William for what he did for her daughter.

After, William offered Guadalupe and her mother lunch. Guadalupe told him he’d done enough for her, but he insisted. I was completely amazed.

After we said our goodbyes to Guadalupe and her mother I escorted William back to the recorder’s office. On the way, we talked. I asked him why he insisted on buying the ladies lunch. He said that he just felt he had to. I reminded him that he had said he was limited on funds. He told me he realized that, but he still had to do it. I asked him why. He said because that is just who he is, like risking his life for a complete stranger. He told me his co-workers, who had been away from the office when I came, would call him completely nuts. He said they’d have compared this situation to him helping a lady he’d become close to at a coffee bar he had frequented. The lady in that situation had ended up playing him and backstabbing him. William’s co-workers had rubbed his nose in it and told him that he deserved what he had gotten Though William did indeed regretted what he did for that woman, he even got a tattoo to remind him of the situation, he knew he really couldn’t have done anything different. When I asked why, he said once again that that was just who he is.

After leaving William at the recorder’s office I was excited to get home and write about this experience. I realized I had been privileged to see a part of William Pattison few people have seen and even fewer have understood. I understand and I feel honored to be able to know him.

Now, with that said, I have to say that I originally planned to interview actress Michelle Shields next in order to get her side of why she ended her friendship with William. After spending this time with William along with reading what Michelle Shields wrote on her profile, and in her posts on that picture from Days of the Dead, I have decided I won’t do that. I will not give that woman another opportunity to make excuses and lie at William’s expense. It would be an insult to the wonderful things this man has done. The way Michelle Shields paints William Pattison is a far cry from who he truly is. William is not a degenerate or a woman hating sadist. He is also not sick or delusional, nor is he a liar.

If anything it is clear to me that it is Michelle Shields who is an egotistical opportunist who manipulates and lies to aggrandize herself at others expense. In my 70 years I’ve known a number of actresses, Betty Davis and Loren Bacall, just to name a couple, and I have to say Michelle Shields is an insult to the name of actress. The actresses I’ve know have something this spoiled, self absorbed, poser doesn’t, that is class.

William is a hero and deserves better than lies and insults. This incident was not the first. William has helped, and even saved, the lives of a number of people. That rotten bitch Michelle Shields should be ashamed of herself. She has the nerve to parade around costumed up as a hero, yet she bashes the real thing. That totally disgusts me. My wife, Jennifer, who is standing beside me as I write these words, agrees with me.

Before I said my goodbyes to William he told me something very comforting. He said that there are real costumed crime fighters, like Batman or Green Hornet, out in the world. He said he knows one of them, and is in contact with others. He said that there are people who do risk their lives to protect people and ask for nothing in return. That is truly a comforting thought.