Vulnerable

I think everyone knows how much anxiety I’ve felt about embarking on this new life of mine.   Most of it related to the size of the motor home, towing a car, renting and returning the tow dolly, getting stuck on a dead end road unable to turn around, mechanical failures, how to attend my three days of training without neglecting Bella, etc.  Very little had to do with concerns for my own safety.

Until…

I left Roseville a bit late in the afternoon, on Saturday.  I knew I wouldn’t make it all the way to the campground before dark, but hoped to find a rest area within at least an hour or two of the site.  Unfortunately, traveling down 99 you get one rest area: in Turlock.  So I continued until after dark, and after stopping for gas and asking the attendant about places to park overnight, decided to drive on to Porterville, and stay overnight in the Wal-Mart parking lot. 

At 9 o’clock the parking lot still had plenty of traffic, and it took me a bit to find an out-of-the-way place to park.  Finally, I settled in, drew the curtains and blinds, and began watching the rest of Season 2, Episode 3, of Orange is the New Black. 

Pathetically, the Wal-Mart parking lot in Porterille, is a hot spot for teenagers to hang out, or at least buzz through at 35mph.  A small sports car stopped just outside the motorhome, with some loud talking young adults who were joined in less than a minute by second carful of youth who had apparently taken exception to something said by one of the occupants in the first car.  All I heard was, “No, I wasn’t talking smack about you.  I was talking about the fight on TV.  I don’t want any trouble.  Honestly, dude, I was talking about ______ (Whatever the boxer’s name was.  Mayfair? I don’t know.) and how he would rather run away than fight.” One of the guys in the second car started to get out, and the first car took off, followed by the second car.  They raced around the parking lot for a while, and I lost track of them.  I was a little jumpy after that, expecting a fight to break out nearby, hoping weapons weren’t involved, and feeling vulnerable for the first time. 

I eventually decided to try to sleep, and tossed and turned, for a while.  Just as I started to doze off, I heard a car pull up and park.  I pulled up the bedroom blind, and saw two boys in their late teens jump out of the car, and start walking toward the motor home.  They were trying to act casual, walking without purpose, and one said, “where, dude, over there?” and pointed in the general direction of my car.  Then they suddenly, turned, and charged for the motor home door. Bella transformed into the watch dog she can be, barking ferociously, and threatening to rip heads off.  They banged loudly on the door then turned heel, jumped back in the car and sped off. 

So much for sleep.  Every vehicle passing by for the rest of the night, had me on my feet, looking out the windows.  I’ve never been so grateful for dawn. 

Continued…