Bruce does a wonderful job of keeping my spirits up! Part of his strategy is to take me out for a short walk in the parking lot in front of our house when the weather is fit. But even when it is raining or chilly we can take a driving tour out in the countryside around our city, or tour one of its many lovely Metro Parks. The country girl in me still delights to see the harvested bean fields, livestock feeding at pasture, trees full of fall color and winding woodland paths.
Sometimes when we get a late start or take a long drive, our return home always seems to go by way of a restaurant or fast food fount of temptation. Last week it happened to be Wendy’s. The drive through line was so long that Bruce decided to skip it and go inside to order our meals.
He got out, leaving me in the car tucked securely into my seat belt and squeezed into the corner around my oxygen tank. As is his custom, he locked the car behind him.
Trying to be efficient in the use of my waiting time, I squeezed a little hand lotion out of a small bottle I keep in the car to try to soften my cold weather hands. It slipped out of my juicy hands, bounced off the seat and fell down into the crack between my seat and the door, just out of my reach!
Without thinking, I quickly opened my door and retrieved it.
At once, a loud and unfamiliar sound began splitting my ears. “Somebody’s car alarm,” I thought. Then I realized it was mine! By opening the passenger’s door of our locked car, I had set off the alarm.
Snugly belted into my own seat, I frantically began pushing all the buttons on the dashboard that I could reach hoping to turn off the noise before the police arrived. Nothing worked, and of course my keys were at home!
Nearly in a panic, I unclicked my seat belt so I could lean over closer to the driver’s side and punch more buttons. I thought perhaps Bruce would hear the alarm and come and rescue me. But no, he was apparently intent on his task of getting our supper.
Finally, by stretching across the gear shift and console between our seats, I was able to reach the lock button on the driver’s door and unlock it! Sweet silence descended.
When Bruce came out to the car carrying our supper he saw both front doors of our car standing open. “Did you have a problem?” he asked.
“Yes,” I admitted, “I discovered that our car alarm works!”
“That’s interesting,” he remarked,”`A man in the restaurant asked me if I had a blue truck out in the parking lot because the alarm was sounding. I didn’t hear anything myself and I told him I didn’t have a blue truck. (It’s a dark blue Honda SUV.) So I didn’t pay any attention to him.”
“So,” I retorted, “the whole community may have been alarmed by your car - but not you!”
