Why Me???
8.26.2011
"Why do I have to use a candle?" I asked in that ridiculous baby voice I used whenever I was pretending to be politer than I really was.
"Because we are in the middle of nowhere, and there's no electricity here," my older brother, David, whispered.
It had been my parents' "bright" idea to travel across the country in our trailer, all the way from Bakersfield, California, to San Antonio, Texas. Most of the time, at night, they were deeply asleep until sunrise. I, on the contrary, could not help but have a cup of coffee, and sit outside on the ground, gazing the stars, and wondering why the heck we had to waste all our summer traveling with each other and without any computer, cell, or GPS. If there was anybody who hated technology, it was my parents.
"Mary? What are you doing out there, all by yourself?" David asked, patting my shoulder. I swear to God that if someday I die of a heart attac, it will be David's fault.
"What a stupid question!" I said. "What do you think, David? Waiting for you to come and ruin my time!" I got up and headed back toward the trailer.
"Ssh!" David added, "Listen! -Someone is coming!"
Footsteps. He was right! I hated it when he was right! Something or someone was approaching, and the fact that it was -who knew what hour at night didn't exactly comfort me.
"Shoot!" I said, right before David covered my mouth.
"Sshh! Are you insane? We don't want them to know we're here."
It was then that someone began to sing a song that sounded more like a drunk guy trying to scare his fear away than anything else.
"What is that freaking song?" I asked, my legs trembling.
"I don't know. Look, walk in and warn Mom and Dad, but don't turn the lights on under any circumstance."
I'd almost made it to the trailer door when a hand covered my mouth.
"Don't move, beauty," the man's voice commanded.
"Son of a ...!" I thought. You will not put one dirty finger on me or my family, or you are dead meat. I thought his stinky breath was the worst thing that could happen to me, until I began to picture all the horrible acts a drunken vagabond could commit.
Suddently, a loud "Bang!" sounded right on top of his head. The man fell, and my mother gave me the warmest hug I could ever recall.
"Call 911!" My dad said, while tying the piece of garbage's hands and legs with some wire.
"How, Dad? We don't have a phone, Or do we?" I asked. Tears of relief began to slide down my cheeks.
"Come one, Sis, don't ask a question when you know the answer to it, and dial 911 NOW," David said, and handed me a Berry.
While waiting for the police to arrive, our family held hands and, for the first time, shared the joy of traveling under the same roof. When our rescuers arrived, they asked if we'd like to go back home to Bakersfield, or continue our trip East. We all looked at each other, and it was my Mom who said, while looking at his badge, "Thanks, Officer Antonio. We'll finish what we started." (He was so handsome, by the way!)
The first thing my mother told me after the police left is that we should have a cell each, just in case. We would take care of these details when we got back home, at the end of our vacation.
That night, we all slept like babies, brushing off our worries and floating away in our dreams until the next morning. I was beginning to enjoy traveling with my family, and pleased to know that my parents only knew about my polite side. It also helped that, in our future road trips, I would be able to curse on the phone, when they all slept, and with my favorite coffee by my side.
"From now on," I thought, "I will always light a candle at night. But, well, this is another story."
"Why do I have to use a candle?" I asked in that ridiculous baby voice I used whenever I was pretending to be politer than I really was.
"Because we are in the middle of nowhere, and there's no electricity here," my older brother, David, whispered.
It had been my parents' "bright" idea to travel across the country in our trailer, all the way from Bakersfield, California, to San Antonio, Texas. Most of the time, at night, they were deeply asleep until sunrise. I, on the contrary, could not help but have a cup of coffee, and sit outside on the ground, gazing the stars, and wondering why the heck we had to waste all our summer traveling with each other and without any computer, cell, or GPS. If there was anybody who hated technology, it was my parents.
"Mary? What are you doing out there, all by yourself?" David asked, patting my shoulder. I swear to God that if someday I die of a heart attac, it will be David's fault.
"What a stupid question!" I said. "What do you think, David? Waiting for you to come and ruin my time!" I got up and headed back toward the trailer.
"Ssh!" David added, "Listen! -Someone is coming!"
Footsteps. He was right! I hated it when he was right! Something or someone was approaching, and the fact that it was -who knew what hour at night didn't exactly comfort me.
"Shoot!" I said, right before David covered my mouth.
"Sshh! Are you insane? We don't want them to know we're here."
It was then that someone began to sing a song that sounded more like a drunk guy trying to scare his fear away than anything else.
"What is that freaking song?" I asked, my legs trembling.
"I don't know. Look, walk in and warn Mom and Dad, but don't turn the lights on under any circumstance."
I'd almost made it to the trailer door when a hand covered my mouth.
"Don't move, beauty," the man's voice commanded.
"Son of a ...!" I thought. You will not put one dirty finger on me or my family, or you are dead meat. I thought his stinky breath was the worst thing that could happen to me, until I began to picture all the horrible acts a drunken vagabond could commit.
Suddently, a loud "Bang!" sounded right on top of his head. The man fell, and my mother gave me the warmest hug I could ever recall.
"Call 911!" My dad said, while tying the piece of garbage's hands and legs with some wire.
"How, Dad? We don't have a phone, Or do we?" I asked. Tears of relief began to slide down my cheeks.
"Come one, Sis, don't ask a question when you know the answer to it, and dial 911 NOW," David said, and handed me a Berry.
While waiting for the police to arrive, our family held hands and, for the first time, shared the joy of traveling under the same roof. When our rescuers arrived, they asked if we'd like to go back home to Bakersfield, or continue our trip East. We all looked at each other, and it was my Mom who said, while looking at his badge, "Thanks, Officer Antonio. We'll finish what we started." (He was so handsome, by the way!)
The first thing my mother told me after the police left is that we should have a cell each, just in case. We would take care of these details when we got back home, at the end of our vacation.
That night, we all slept like babies, brushing off our worries and floating away in our dreams until the next morning. I was beginning to enjoy traveling with my family, and pleased to know that my parents only knew about my polite side. It also helped that, in our future road trips, I would be able to curse on the phone, when they all slept, and with my favorite coffee by my side.
"From now on," I thought, "I will always light a candle at night. But, well, this is another story."
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