Close Call

Almost two years ago I was in Arizona attending the funeral of Laurie's MIL after her sudden passing in April of 2008.  The memorial service was held at Ted and Mary Lou's property up in Tonto Basin - which is about 90 minutes northeast of Scottsdale.  There is one major highway -  locally called the Beeline - to and from the area.  The Beeline isn't exactly known for being a spacious highway - the often single, sometimes two lanes, twist and turn through the mountains.  It's known as a narrow and dangerous road, and most drivers use extra caution while driving it.  Often times in lieu of a road shoulder, there are shear cliffs that feel so close you could reach out and touch them as you blow by at 60 mph. Once you make it past civilization - the town of Fountain Hills - there is literally nothing until you reach Tonto Basin.  No town, no gas station, no rest area...just miles and miles of rocky mountains, twisting road, and saguaro cactus.

As with most of the roads and highways that crisscross Arizona, the Beeline was under construction.  We left Tonto Basin after an exhaustively long day of tears and smiles, and the sun was almost totally set by the time we started our long trek south to Laurie's home in Chandler.  About ten miles into our journey, the construction had us detoured into one southbound and one northbound lane, with zero room for error.  I, being the Type A personality that I am, was driving. Mom was riding shot gun and Nikki and Jack were in the back seat, asleep.  Mom and I were riding in rare silence and my mind was totally focused on the detour that was fast approaching and also on the tail lights of the Yukon up ahead.  I knew from watching the Yukon that I was going to have to slow down to an almost crawl in order to navigate the sharp curve and merge into my new southbound lane.

Looking back, I think it was because I was so focused on the tail lights of the SUV in front of me that I didn't see the man standing off to the side of the road any sooner.  But there he suddenly was...young - in his twenties, I'd say.  He had on a dark colored jean jacket, jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat.  I remember thinking,  "What on earth is he doing walking down the highway in the dark??  Where on earth did he even come from?".  Suddenly he turned and began crossing the highway between our rental car and the Yukon ahead - who had by now made the curve was quickly disappearing south.  I remember noticing that there were no cars behind me and none approaching on the northbound lane.  We were alone.  It was then that I noticed his bad limp.  He was literally dragging one leg behind him as he painfully made his way across the road, now less than 50 feet in front of me.  My mind was racing over the injured man while I slowed down to less than five mph in order to navigate the tight and cone-lined approaching curve.  "Where was his car, I didn't see one broke down.  Was he in an accident?  Does he need help? Where did he come from??"  I was about to voice my concern out loud to Mom when I noticed sudden movement out of the corner of my left eye.  I quickly turned my head and found myself looking directly into the eyes of a second man.

He was also young...early twenties.  Clean shaven, and I remember absurdly thinking that he was good looking.  He too was wearing a dark jean jacket, a light colored felt cowboy hat and dark jeans.  I watched his right hand extend out toward the rear door handle as he took one...two...three running steps toward the drivers side of the car, his fingers just inches away from his clearly intended target.  My brain was moving at hyper-speed as time seemed to totally stop.  In the span of just a few seconds I clearly remember my mind shrieking..."Jack is sleeping in the back seat!!!...The rental car has automatic door locks, I heard them lock when we left so he can't get it...Oh God, the first guy wasn't injured, he was a decoy!!...Speed up speed up speed up SPEED UP!!!!!"  And I did. 

I navigated as quickly as possible through the cones and drove another thirty yards in total silence, my eyes wide, my heart slamming in my chest, and my mind screaming. Then I turned my head and looked at Mom, and her face was a mirror of mine.  I knew she was thinking exactly what I was...

We both started talking at once and over each other..."Did you see that guy ahead...??!!  Did you see the OTHER guy?!?  He planned that for when you'd be at your slowest at that curve!!  I saw him try to REACH for Jack's door handle, Mom...!!" 

Mom called Laurie and told her everything, gave her our mile markers and all the details so that she could alert the highway patrol.  We never heard the outcome or what happened (if anything) to the two men.  I sometimes wonder about those two men and I worry if their apparent plan was ever seen through with another unsuspecting driver on that dark road.  Those few seconds went to so quickly, yet so slowly.  I remember every single detail like it happened yesterday.  To this day, I consciously listen to my door locks clicking into place before I drive anywhere.