The Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story

I don't wanna die here! Please! Please! Please!

Hello?

Hi.

I'm Laura. Laura Cowan.

I'm Zara.

What happened?

He locked me in that room,

and he nailed all the windows shut,

and now... and he put me in here.

I don't know what's gonna happen to me and my son.

It's gonna be okay. Okay?

You have to trust me.

Okay.

Look at me.

Look, I know hope seems lost in here, I get that.

But we're gonna get out.

Until then, just prayers

and words of encouragement to God.

Just pray that He hears our cries.

Hello up there.

I finally made it out of the cold and snow and gray.

I used to dream about this.

The sun, the warmth, everything.

Your girl is 24 years old

and never seen the ocean until this moment.

Goodbye, Cleveland. Hello, California.

Just look at it.

Nothing but wonder and possibilities here.

This is where I'm supposed to be.

But you already knew that.

Sis, give me a breath. I just got here two days ago.

Where are you staying?

Some studio apartment that is killing my savings.

Things are so much more expensive here

than they are in Cleveland.

I bet.

So when you run out of money, then you'll come home.

What? No, I'm just getting started.

With what?

Living my life.

Coming together

and cleaning up Memorial Park for everyone.

It's like this.

When you start something for the community,

if you can help the community, help each other,

even just a little bit, then

then wow. Um.

Even small changes can have a positive effect.

It's like when you throw a pebble into a lake.

Sister, if you throw a pebble into a lake,

you may not see that water rise,

but you have to know that you made a difference.

And then we all start throwing our pebbles in that lake,

and we start what's called a movement.

And when you have that movement, we give all praise to God. Amen?

And that's what we're here for. So go ahead and sign up.

Can you take this for a second? I'll be right back.

Sister, I don't mean to startle you.

Well, I don't startle easy.

I saw you take an interest in what I was saying back there.

I was.

But not now?

You've been in Memorial Park long?

You know the city?

Long enough to know not to speak to strangers.

Shabazz.

- Laura. - Laura.

See? Now we're not strangers.

Hey, um, I liked what you said, you know, about the pebbles.

Well, if you like that, you should come back Saturday.

Maybe I will.

You know, what we're doing here

is for the people in the community.

Strengthen them is strengthen all of us.

It takes just one person to make such a big difference.

Okay, if I say yes, will you stop selling me on it?

- Yes. - Then, yes.

Good. See you then.

Got it?

Hey, you made it.

I did. Put me to work.

What do you do besides chasing women in parking lots?

That, uh, that's my part-time gig, actually.

But, you know, I have three constants in life.

It is God, family, and numbers.

In that order.

Want to be an entrepreneur and start my own thing.

You know, all for the benefit of my family,

my people, and God.

Wow. That's impressive.

You have it all figured out.

Still a work in progress.

Here, you take this one.

How'd you get involved in all this?

You know, I lived out here most of my life.

It's really important to me to reach out

and stay connected to the community.

You know, I feel like, if people see

that I'm here to stand up for other people,

maybe somebody will pick up that example.

Next thing you know, everybody's raised up.

What?

I like that.

So, you just packed up your car and headed out here?

No house, no job?

No, yeah, I know it sounds crazy,

but every year, growing up,

I used to watch the Rose Bowl parade, right?

And when I'd watch TV, I'd see those people smiling,

and the sun was shining.

Then I'd look outside and see the snow,

and it was cold, and I just knew that was not for me.

No more Cleveland for Laura Cowan?

No. No.

And my mother was dead set on not letting me leave.

She practically stood in front of my car before I left.

But I just thought I needed to take a leap of faith

and do this for myself.

That's good.

How's it working out for you now?

I love it here.

Um, it's nobody's rules to follow.

Well, Miss Laura Cowan, I feel like

you're the kind of woman who does what she wants,

when she wants, in spite of anybody's rules.

You know, I'm learning that about myself.

So, what are your plans for...

Well, I mean, to start, like I said,

I'd definitely like to find a better job,

get a bigger place.

Just thinking about my future.

I was thinking about for Saturday,

but we could talk about the future too.

Hmm?

Yeah, no, check this out.

What do you think?

Well, it's empty, so there's really not much to see.

Yeah, that's true. Let's go inside.

How? There's nobody in there, Shabazz.

That's true.

You coming?

Okay, what is this?

Well, uh, I'm going to rent this place.

Yeah, I'm gonna sell the best books over here.

I'm thinking, like, some tables, um, chairs over here,

maybe incense and plants, African art in the window.

You're serious?

Shabazz, that's amazing.

I'm just, uh, thinking of the future.

Our future.

Wait a minute, what are you getting at?

Laura, I love you.

I want to spend the rest of my life with you.

But it's only been four months.

It's too fast.

Well, it should be.

And everything tells me that I should slow down,

but, honestly, I just don't know

if I could live another day without you in it.

So we should do this.

Yes.

But I'm gonna need you to ask me a little better than that.

I'm a simple man.

There's nothing simple about my love for you.

It is all, it is everything.

Will you take the journey of our life together with me?

Will you be my wife?

- Yes. Yes. - Yes.

Yes!

Oh, my God.

- Oh, uh, rings. - Okay.

Okay.

Wow.

It's beautiful.

- Let me show you the rest. - Okay.

Are you doing okay? Do you need anything?

Hi.

Mama, me and Maryum are hungry.

I'm sorry, I can't understand you with that language.

- Maryum and I are hungry. - Great job.

Okay, well, can I help this customer out...

I'm hungry now.

Ahmed, lower your voice

and I need you to have some patience, okay?

But, Mama, don't you have to learn it too?

Moms get to have a little less patience

because they have more to deal with.

- That's not fair. - It is fair.

More to deal with, less patience.

- I'll feed them, my love. - Thank you.

It's just every time you want something, he just...

Okay. All right, Laura. All good?

- All good. - All good?

- Good. Yeah. - Fish sticks?

Yes. Fries? Yes.

Welcome, gentlemen. Can I help you with something?

Uh, Laura.

Um, I'll, I'll, uh, I'll take care of them.

Uh, brothers, I was just about to feed the kids

and, um, if you could look around for a minute, I'll...