I set out around noon with my daughters to see my sons, their wives, and my grand daughter. The girls were going to spend a few days there and Bob and I were going to work on a little internet stuff. I hadn’t seen my grand daughter since they moved a little over a month ago. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep Friday night.
So about 1/2 hour into our 1 1/2 hour drive, the car acts like its running out of gas. I wait and try to start it a few times. Nothing. I call a friend and he thought it was the fuel pump and since it’s in the gas tank, it can’t be fixed on the side of the interstate. Bob drives to meet us and sees if he can do anything. He tries and comes to the same conclusion regarding the fuel pump.
I call the roadside service and they tell me a tow truck will be there in 1 to 1 1/2 hours and I need to be with the car. The latest they should’ve gotten there is 3:30 pm. Bob takes us to an exit to get something to eat and some water. I assure him I’m fine and he and the girls should go on. I walk from the exit (it would be hard to cross over the interstate back to the car) and burn some time while I wait for the tow truck.
Around 4 pm the calls start trying to find out why there is still no tow truck. By 5 pm, my water is gone (we are in the mid-80’s right now) and my cell phone is dead. My last call was to my son who lives with me, to tell him my phone is dying and to keep on the roadside service till he knows they came. He didn’t get all the info before my phone died. At this point I’m getting nervous and feeling really sad I didn’t get to see my grand daughter. I don’t want to be walking on the side of the interstate when it’s dark, so I give the tow truck driver till 5:30 pm.
At 5:30 pm, no tow truck driver, so I decide to walk over a mile to the store by the turn off. The tow truck PASSES me! I see him driving around the overpass and then head back on the opposite side. I stop and look back waiting to see if he is at my car, so I can turn around. I don’t see him and keep walking. I get to the exit and someone saw me walking and stopped. He offered me his phone, as I was dialing the tow truck driver pulled up. (I had left a note on my car I was walking, out of water, and my phone was dead). I get in, and like in the creepy movies….there inside door handle is broke! He had some water, took me to the store to use the restroom and we went to the car.
As we were driving my car back to my house, he feels it important to tell me he has trouble finding work because he has felony drug charges against him and he spent 5 years in jail! He also was complaining how he has to go out alone because his pregnant wife doesn’t like to go out and stays home with their two little girls. I could hardly wait to get home.
I had called my house and left a message I was on my way home. I didn’t have my son’s cell phone number (I’m dependent on speed dial). When I got home he wasn’t home. When I called him, he was looking for me on the interstate. He passed a woman walking that looked enough like me he turned around, but when he returned she was gone so he kept looking.
I would’ve loved to have Dorthy’s ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz and clicked my way home because……….”there’s no place like home…..there’s no place like home…..”