(True Story)

Well ive been thinking lately about things in my life I could write about and while out with a friend of mine recently I remembered a moment from my past that is hardly one of my better moments but none the less I decided to write about it cause it was one of the turning points in my life from who I was to who I am now....

...It was Halloween night in '93. I had just spent the evening at my sisters in Richmond, B.C. and was leisurely driving to my place in Langley. I was on a country road in the middle of nowhere(one of my many "unique" shortcuts I had through the fraser valley).

To my surprise this night over a hill in the distance a vehicle crested a hill. Its high-beams cut through the thin veil of fog in the night and shone bright in my eyes as it drove toward me. It struck me as odd to see ANYONE on this road and especially this late at night. But whatever I just classified him as a "DORK" for driving with his high-beams on. I flashed him a couple times to get him to put his low-beams on, but to no effect. I just decided to speed up and get by him as quick as possible so that I could get back to the comforting darkness of my secluded road.

The distance between us closed and as we started to pass each other suddenly without warning my windshield erupts before me, shards of glass fill the interior of my truck as I swerve to gain control of my truck and keep from ditching it. With one tire edging over the ditch I successfully stop the truck and try to collect my-self and make some sense of what just happened.

I felt the warmth of fresh blood trickling down my cheek where flying glass had cut my face. I remember being thankful I didn't wear contacts that night or I might surely be blind right now.

Ive now had the chance to take a few deep breaths and though my heart was still racing I was able to figure out what had happened. That being that the people in the other car had thrown "something" in front of my vehicle as I passed them. "Who could be so fucking stupid!". The adrenaline pumping I could not just leave this alone.

In a heartbeat I had turned my truck around and was speeding down the road toward the now distant tail-lights, looking through what few spots in my windshield there were that were not completely cracked. Reaching speeds far exceeding what my truck should be driven at I quickly started to gain on them and sure enough caught up. I turned on my off-road lights as I began bearing down on the little car, surely blinding them from behind.

The car quickly swerved into the oncoming traffic lane to avoid me running them over. I pulled up beside them. A car load of teenage boys glared back at me with the look of shock and maybe fear on their faces. I screamed at them "What the fuck did you do to my windshield??". I paid very little attention to the road as yelled at this car load of little shits who dared to put my life at risk for their "amusement". I thought a few times how easily I could run them off the road as they defiantly sped up rather then pulling over as I ordered. The pursuit went on for what seemed like an hour but was probably mere minutes.

The chase now went into the town of White Rock still at speeds that make me cringe to think about now. Every moment of the way I was right on their tail. We got onto a main strip in White Rock and as we came to a McDonalds they pulled in quickly.

The parking lot was FULL of teens and thinking better of it I break off the pursuit. I continue down the road and stop at a gas station where I use the pay phone to call the police and report the incident, still with the adrenaline pumping I found it hard to articulate my thoughts enough to describe the incident. I eventually was able to get everything out for the constable to put in the report including the make and model of the car and plate number. He recommended I go home and said they would send a car out to the McDonalds to check things out and would contact me when they have news.

My heart now beginning to calm down and the adrenaline slowing I found myself getting very tired from the whole ordeal. I climbed back into my truck and started it up to head home. Out of the back of the truck Rusty runs to me as I start to put the truck in gear. Gawd, I had forgotten all about Rusty in the mayhem of the moment. Rusty jumped on my lap and curled into a tight little ball, burying his little head between the folds of my jacket and shivering in fear for what had happened. . .

I turned the truck off and sat there holding Rusty trying to calm him with my voice and petting him. Ive never seen him like he was then to that date and never since. I don't know what he feared more the shock of the windshield blowing up before him and the chase that ensued. . . or seeing the anger that I expressed which he had never seen before in me and never since, I doubt he recognized me how I was acting.

We sat there for another hour or so. He didn't move, he just sat there shivering and he wouldn't even lift his little head to look at me. Tears fell from my eyes as I thought about what I had put him through. The cold tears fell across my cheek and mingled with the now drying blood on my face. The blood soaked tears then fell onto Rusty's fur as I continued to pet him and pick shards of glass out of his fur coat. I decided I had to get him outa the truck, and soon, so I started driving home hoping the comfort of familiar "secure" surroundings of home would help him. Again on the drive home he would not move or even acknowledge me he just sat there shivering. I felt so bad.

It took him days to show any signs of getting back to normal and never again did he enjoy going for drives with me as he used to, and he did in fact love going for drives with me. He was a weird kitty that way I guess but I liked it cause I could take him anywhere.

Aftermath:

Days after the incident a Constable X(I better not give his name on here) called me and asked if I would be able to identify the driver of the car. I said "no" their faces were a blur in my mind. And he said that he would not be able to do anything if I couldn't identify the driver. The info on the vehicle itself was worthless without being able to identify the culprit. So the officer knew who did it but basically couldn't charge him.

BUT he then said something that surprised me. He said he would unofficially play a bluff on my part and tell the youth that he would be charged if he did not admit to what had happened and pay restitution and being that he was 18 that would have meant actual jail time if the bluff wasn't merely a bluff.

The bluff worked in fact worked, the boy admitted to what had happened and now he really could be charged if he didn't pay for the damages. . .But he paid, Awww too bad eh? Considering I could have easily died that very night, or have been blinded, I would have been happy to see him go to jail, but instead I got the money back for damages as my only retribution.

I came out of the experience with my life, more respect for the police than I had before that, and also with a little kitty who would never be quite the same as he was before that night. Looking back its what happened to Rusty that I regret most. Some would laugh at having so much concern for a pet others understand totally but all I know is that I care a lot for my little boy and if I had that night to live over I would not pursue the kids this time. It was stupid for SO many reasons.

For those who have read my life story this event is one of the many that helped change my life for the better. . .