Betty the Green Blazer and I just started the drive to work yesterday morning when Donizetti started playing on her radio. A Piece from the opera “Maria Stuarda” that always reminds me of my mom.
I suddenly realized how much I needed my mom at that moment. I’m driving towards a traffic light when my mom’s presence fills Betty’s passenger seat.
I have the green arrow for my left turn, but I’m still fifty yards away. The light turns yellow as I approach and disappears shortly before I turn left in front of traffic. The car driving in the opposite direction beeps at me.
The car behind that car is a police officer that I wasn’t aware of.
I’m juggling an expensive water bill, a son who is having a bad week, a daughter who cried at drop off the night before, an ex wife who sent me another cryptic email and a sudden appearance from Betty’s infamous check my engine light. All of this weighing me down and now I have rollers in the rearview.
My deceased mom is sitting next to me listening to her opera, tears are running down my cheeks and I’m getting pulled over.
It’s just after five o’clock in the morning and I’m on 31st street near the DesPlaines River bridge preparing for the police officer to arrive at my window.
“I shouldn’t have made that turn Officer…. I missed the arrow and I pushed through too late.”
My hands are shaking on the dashboard. My dad taught me if you get pulled over stick your hands through the steering wheel and grab the dashboard. Therefore the patrolman can see your hands and feel safer doing his job.
My hands are shaking, my lip starts to quiver and tears are still noticeable on my face.
The officers asks me if I was alright…. “I’m just having a shitty week Officer and…..”
Well I couldn’t tell him this song made me emotional and my mom is sitting here next to me. He would have given me the breathalyzer right then and there.
“…… and I’m just trying to get to work.”
This poor cop is just trying to finish his shift and now he’s dealing with an emotional divorced dad with a “I Love Hot Mom’s” bumper sticker. Oh and the Reagan/Bush sticker and the “I’m JumboLove sticker. Thank God all of Betty’s lights were working properly.
The police officer returned and when he handed me my driver’s license told me to be careful and know things will get better.
As he walked away I’m sure he heard me say, “Thank you God!”
I drove patiently in the right lane the rest of the way to work.
That traffic stop was a sign from heaven…..
“If not now……when?”
At least that’s what I thought I heard. I couldn’t really hear Pappa God over the yelling and screaming behind him. My dad bitching about driving with my head up my ass. The whole drive over to OakBrook my mom just sat there calmly.
Timing is everything in life and sometimes things happen for a reason. That police officer talked me off the ledge and probably kept me from making another stupid traffic infraction further down the street.
Today when I drive to work I’m listening to XRT…. They don’t play music that reminds me of my Ma.
