The Curious Disappearance on Gladesboro Road
There are some terrible moments, very few, which bring our worst fears to to the surface. Such a moment happened Friday, once to both love of my life and myself.
We got a late start on our insurance rounds because Wanda is still recovering from the "bronchitus" which I am trying to keep from getting. Lots of rest, etc. One of the problems we encounter is finding folks home. They insist on going to work, running errands and the such. When we spotted the truck pulling out of our targeted driveway I quickly pulled our squat Toyota Celica next to the truck. Wanda got out and went around to talk to the driver. The truck pulled out and my wife, who means more than life itself, was gone. Vanished! That quick!
What in the world was I to do? I'd never been in such a situation before and on top of it, I was a not thinking at all clearly. Panic? Yes. Despair? Yes. Perplexed? Yes. Where in such a short time could she be. I was looking at the front door she had not entered. The view where the truck had pulled out was an open field. I called! I blew the horn! No response. By this time I was holding my head and walking around in circles. What does one do when the person they love most in the world in a moment vanishes?
The truck! She must have somehow wound up in the truck! I was back down the road in the direction he had gone! Looking for the beige Chevy truck. Beige, that's always a bad sign. After about a mile, no truck, no wife, but much concern. I headed back to the house where I had last seen her.
There she was! Shrieking and clasping the shirtsleeve of the poor man who had suddenly been caught up in this drama. Tears were flowing for the husband who had been carjacked seven miles in the country on Gladesboro Road. Needless to say she was upset, first because she thought something had happened to me and then because I had left. But I was looking for her and when I explained my state of mind there were two basket cases. Relieved basket cases, but basket cases non the less.
Where was she? She had gone down the hill beside the house and in the back door. All of that action was hidden by the truck. She didn't hear me call but she did hear the horn and thought it was someone trying to get out. I was so happy she was alright, I didn't care.
We have laughed about it since but at the time it was far from funny. It is a horrible thing to have a loved one go missing. There is a surreal quality about it. It's a kind of feeling I hope to never experience again.
We got a late start on our insurance rounds because Wanda is still recovering from the "bronchitus" which I am trying to keep from getting. Lots of rest, etc. One of the problems we encounter is finding folks home. They insist on going to work, running errands and the such. When we spotted the truck pulling out of our targeted driveway I quickly pulled our squat Toyota Celica next to the truck. Wanda got out and went around to talk to the driver. The truck pulled out and my wife, who means more than life itself, was gone. Vanished! That quick!
What in the world was I to do? I'd never been in such a situation before and on top of it, I was a not thinking at all clearly. Panic? Yes. Despair? Yes. Perplexed? Yes. Where in such a short time could she be. I was looking at the front door she had not entered. The view where the truck had pulled out was an open field. I called! I blew the horn! No response. By this time I was holding my head and walking around in circles. What does one do when the person they love most in the world in a moment vanishes?
The truck! She must have somehow wound up in the truck! I was back down the road in the direction he had gone! Looking for the beige Chevy truck. Beige, that's always a bad sign. After about a mile, no truck, no wife, but much concern. I headed back to the house where I had last seen her.
There she was! Shrieking and clasping the shirtsleeve of the poor man who had suddenly been caught up in this drama. Tears were flowing for the husband who had been carjacked seven miles in the country on Gladesboro Road. Needless to say she was upset, first because she thought something had happened to me and then because I had left. But I was looking for her and when I explained my state of mind there were two basket cases. Relieved basket cases, but basket cases non the less.
Where was she? She had gone down the hill beside the house and in the back door. All of that action was hidden by the truck. She didn't hear me call but she did hear the horn and thought it was someone trying to get out. I was so happy she was alright, I didn't care.
We have laughed about it since but at the time it was far from funny. It is a horrible thing to have a loved one go missing. There is a surreal quality about it. It's a kind of feeling I hope to never experience again.
posted by The MacBean Gene at 7:40 PM
12 Comments:
Dave, I feel your pain my friend. I had a love disappear before many years ago, only I never saw her again; I was devastated... I'm glad everything worked out alright!
Scary stuff - glad you're both okay!
Btw, thanks for your support in the Blog Of The Week thing - I won!
D L I cannot imagine what you went through. Well, I can a little bit.
Thanks Binty, and congrats on the Blog of The Week. I'm glad everything turned out fine for all of us.
Oh, a trauma like that will bring you closer together and you realize how much you love and depend on each other.
That is the blessing out of this very scary time!!!
Happy all is well now, in fact may be better than ever!!!
See you, Betty G
I liked the story, I mean the way it was written. The story itself was very scary. So good it had a happy ending.
P.S. Why can't I post commets as Kasia? Yuo and your wife must come to my country one day to taste real "perogy":)
Kasia
Thanks Ally, We were very glad it was just a"goof up" also. We feel pretty safe around here but you never know.
Betty, I don't know how my wife and I could be any closer. When we were at premarital counseling the minister told us we would be "flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone." We took him at his word.
I don't know why you can't comment as Kasia, Kasia. Blogger is a funny animal sometimes. But I appreciate your comments as much as any. Thank you for the compliment on my writing. I hope it's at least entertaining. I enjoy writing and got quite a bit of practice as my degree is in Political Science. I have never traveled outside the USA but would really like to before I meet my maker. Perogies, ummm.
Hey, Billy, thanks for stopping by. If you think that's crazy, you havn't been by Dax lately. Hope you like the wine I recommended.
Wow! How scary! I am so glad that everything turned out alright!
Like something straight outta H.P. Lovecraft!
Glad it was just a minute Outer Limit moment!
I was afraid that was going to turn into that movie "Vanished"!
Glad it was just a mixup.
Scarey and more, Annie.
Yeah, Pattie, it at one point did seem like some other worldly force had been at work.
I watched "Vanished" once. It's one of my wifes favorites. I have no idea why. Thanks taking a break from soapmaking to stop by, Rurality
I'm glad you found her again, and I use cell phones for just this type of emergency! Both of you should carry one...why, my husband and I have lost each other in the Mall, and the only way to coordinate is to call each other on the cell phone - it just spares that agony of fright. We make sure all our kids have cell phones too when we all travel together.
Pheeewww... That was not a nice experience!!!!!
I must have been really frustrating, what to do and all... It was a good move to try to follow and locate the truck even if it did turn out to be the wrong choice afterwards, but how could you know?
I'm really glad it turned out alright though.
It's an "awakener" though. It can be a good thing to be aware of the fact that these things can happens and to be prepaired what to do in that kind of situations.
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