It all started Friday afternoon and I called Bob, one of my classmates, to find out if I could ride to class with him that night because with my eye infection and my previous problems with night perception problems, I tend to be a hazard at night with my driving. Bob had to go early so I couldn’t ride with him.
At 5:45 I left our house to travel to ACTS, a trip that takes 35-40 minutes to make. I didn’t know that Canada had just had a week of Spring break and that they were returning in droves! The wait at the truck crossing was 4 blocks long. BUT, I had a Nexus pass which basically puts you in your own special lane and you just zip across the border. I had to go to the Peace Arch crossing because that Nexus lane is separate and open at that time. That line was only 2 blocks long. And what should I behold in our line, the Nexus lane, a truck! What was a truck doing in the Nexus lane? I knew it was a ruse. The truck was a decoy and the real ammunition was in one of the cars following it because after searching the truck, the crossing guard (they aren’t really called that but the Canadian border police can’t carry guns and when there is an incident at the border, they leave their posts and run….) would be so upset that he had taken the so much time searching the truck…oh wait, I may be watching too many episodes of CSI… SO I crossed the border at 6:30. Since my class started at 6:30 and I had a 20 minute trip, I thought I might be late.
During our break, I asked Bob if I could follow him across the border. He graciously said that I could. I was relieved. I knew that if I could follow his tail lights, I would do okay in driving. So I relaxed…there should be foreboding music right here. Unfortunately, I am not on CSI or any day time soap opera.
Class ended and Bob and I were the last ones to leave the class. We laughed and told our professor that I had to follow him because I couldn't see, and maybe he should not follow us because I might be a hazard…[uproarious laughter]
Bob told me where he was parked and I could pull in behind him. I waited until the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate drove out. I was there! I was on that white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate’s bumper like glue on an envelope! Bob went fast, I went fast. Bob slowed down, I slowed down. We left school traveled down 216th and turned on 16th Street. I kept my eyes pealed on the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate. I didn’t watch for anything…just the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate. We got to Highway 15 which leads to the border and Bob, driving the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate, zipped past it. I was confused but thought that Bob, knowing the lights really bothered me, knew a better way to the border and was saving my eyes. What a prince of a man! On we went, past streets, turns and more turns but I was following the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate. Then, horror of horror, the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate turned into an apartment house and an underground garage.
More CSI* thoughts went through my mind. What if he were really a mass-murderer and it was all a trick. (Good grief, Linda, pull yourself together!) I panicked and started to cry. I had to back track and find the Canadian/US border by my blind little self. After all the border follows the entire 49th parallel, it shouldn’t be hard to find. Keep in mind that I am having problems with my vision, it is now 10:30 and VERY dark, and the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate didn’t exactly take a straight route to this underground garage. I choked back tears and then made a reckless U turn and tried to retrace my path. I ran into one dead end and then I found King George Street. I headed in the direction of the border and I found it. I called Steve once I crossed the border and warned him that when I got home, I would be in tears. I was already crying so it shouldn't have been a surprise.
*Since this happened, you will be happy to know that I no longer watch CSI.
- Now let’s speed ahead to Saturday morning. Initially, when Bob was going to lead me safely across the border, I was going to stop and get him coffee on my way to class because I was so thankful that he would be so nice. Needless to say, NO coffee for Bob.
I walked into class and said, “when did someone cut in front of me? I was following the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate.” He said, “I was so worried about you. Your blue car pulled in behind me and then all of a sudden you pulled over.”
I told him that I had followed him or the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate and it went speeding past Highway 15. He told me that when the blue car turned off, he pulled over to the side of the road and waited for me for 10 minutes.
I said I never let anyone in between the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate so I had to be behind him. He said, “I don’t have a white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate. I have a silver car with Washington plates. Why would I have Alberta plates? I live in Washington. And I knew that your blue car was right behind me.” I said, “I don’t have a blue car.” Silence. We stared at one another. Then, hysteria! By the way...by this time the whole class was interested in the seminary student who would mess with a blind girl. It was not even casual eavesdropping...it was blatant eavesdropping.
It was another student who suggested that I may have followed someone else in the class. I asked, the class if anyone had the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate. One student suggested that it may be Erinn, who had not come to class. Erinn walked in shortly after that and someone said, were you stalked last night? Erinn’s face clouded over in confusion. I asked, “do you have a white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate?” she said, “yes.” The class roared. I had followed Erinn home.
Here are some things that should have sent off some warning sighs:
1. Alberta plates…nope, Bob lives in Washington that's why I was following him. It was a question that I was going to ask Bob on Saturday why he had Alberta plates.
2. Bob was a tall man and I couldn’t see him above the steering wheel.
3. I had ridden with Bob before, and I didn’t remember him speeding. And he didn’t seem to be someone who would mess with a blind girl.
4. Bob didn’t turn on 15, now that should have been neon blinking sign.
I am in seminary and don’t think that I don’t know that this will come up in some sermon illustrations. Here are some that I came up with all on my own:
1. Be sure that you know whom you are following.
2. You can be so sure that you are following the right thing, in this case, the white car with the almond shaped tail-lights and the Alberta license plate, but still be surely wrong
3. When you are leading someone, be sure that you are a good leader and you know that the person is following you.
Can you think of other lessons?
Needless to say, I added this to all of the other stupid things that I have done.
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