I should have went bowling.

How do I get myself into these things?

I leave school at 12:08 today. Make it to Menaul (street in Abq) and witness a car accident. Really, all I saw was one car whirling around with smoke flying and ending up almost nose to nose with the car a few feet ahead of me. Menaul is a three lane thoroughfare and this car was only blocking one lane so after a 3-second pause, everyone just started going around her & honking, as if it were no big deal that there was a car facing them all in the wrong direction.

I pulled up beside it and asked if she was OK – no response, so I pulled in behind her and ran to her side. She was probably in her 50’s and said she was unhurt, just really scared. Tears and incredible shaking ensued. In the meantime, the person that hit her, a younger man, came up to see if she was OK and profusely apologize. To his credit, he did not leave the scene (that seems to be a bad habit here in Abq). The woman asked me to call the police and just as I dialed 911, I looked around to get the street names and low & behold there was a police car – WOW, great service. Unthinking, I just hung up before the call even rang, just to have 911 call me back to confirm I was OK.

So, the police officer asked me to stay for a few minutes to get my statement and then asked the woman, (we’ll call her Lois) to move her car out of the street. It was banged up around the back, driver’s side tire and the wheel was at a hokey angle but she managed to get it off of the main drag. I parked off street and walked over to the commotion. Lois had gotten out of the car, still shaking, still crying so I tried offer some comfort and get her to calm down some. After giving the officer my incredibly short statement & contact info he said I was free to go. I didn’t go… I should have went but poor Lois… so I stayed… (this is how I get into these things).

I asked Lois if there was someone I could call for her and she said a daughter. So, I dialed the phone, handed it to her and she handed it right back saying “she would start crying again so could I talk to her daughter instead?”. Then the officer came up to talk to Lois so there I was left to tell some poor woman, whom I didn’t know, that her Mom (whom I don’t know) had been in a wreck – and Lois didn’t even tell me her daughter’s name… After many assurances that Mom was OK and I would stay with her until she (daughter) arrived I got off the phone to wait.

And we waited. The police officers called a tow truck for Lois’ car and it arrived… and we waited. I was invited to Lois’ birthday and the Feast of St James on the San Felipe Pueblo on Saturday… and we waited. Finally I discerned that Lois’ daughter worked at Sandia Resort & Casino (on my way home) so I offered to just driver her up there and drop her off. We called Daughter again, and yep, that would be fine (she hadn’t even left the Casino yet). We started getting Lois’ personal possessions out of her car when one of the Officers came up and said – “I have some bad news. There is an outstanding warrant for your arrest (Lois, not me) and I have to take you in”.

Conversation ensued:

Poor Lois, “Who’s getting arrested?”

Officer: “You, I’m afraid. I’m sorry”

Lois: “For what?”

(By this time I was ready to run… Uhm don’t know her , just stopping by… I’m not involved, etc, etc – living in Abq & after watching the dimal newscasts, you immediately start thinking – Oh Lord, she has drugs or is the matriarch of some not-so-obscure gang… )

Officer” Outstanding speeding ticket” (Whew)

Lois (looking in her car): “Oh, this? I forgot all about it, I have money, I can pay you now.”

Officer: (Looking a bit relieved that it was a ticket & not a gun she pulled, I think) “No ma’am. I can’t take any money from you. I have to arrest you and take you in. Please leave all that stuff in the car.”

Lois: “Oh, no, I can’t. I have my grandson’s car seat and I have to get it to my daughter so she can pick him up. I have to.”

Then she looks at me so beseechingly and asks if I would take the carseat on to her daughter at Sandia and let her know what is going on and to be expecting her phone call from the police station.

Raymona: “Of course, I’d be happy to help. Officer, is it OK? (he nodded assent like I was nuts for asking, really what did HE care?)

And as they cuffed poor Lois, the day before her birthday and after her second car accident since 1975 I took the car seat and drove away. I called Daughter(I never did get her name) to let her know I was at the set meeting place sans Mom… Geez, how do you tell someone you don’t know that their Mom, whom you don’t know, was arrested??? You say “Hey, I’m here, I’m in a Jeep Wrangler and uhm, I have some bad news – they arrested your Mom.’ That’s what you say. She took it well, claimed the car seat and I was on my way.

Happy Birthday “Lois”.

I should have went bowling with my classmates.