Small Town Life

One Sunday evening right before school started, the girls and I were in the living room watching the Netflix series, “Lemony Snickets’ Series of Unfortunate Events”.

Tom was in the family room watching murder because that’s what he does.

Alyssa’s phone was in her hand because, duh, teenager.

She announced in an relaxed tone, “Steph’s in a ditch.”

It took me a minute but then I said, “What? How do you know this?”

“She sent a text to our group chat.”

I asked, “How did she end up in a ditch?”

“She took a curve too fast and spun her truck into a ditch on the corner of 6.75 and K,” Alyssa replied calmly.

“Has she called her parents?” I wanted to know.

But before Lyss could reply, I remembered something I’d seen on Facebook, posted by Steph’s mom, “They’re in Hocking Hills, aren’t they?”

Alyssa nodded.

“Did she call her brother?”

Alyssa shook her head at that one. “She said he’d just have a panic attack and she is already having one so two of them panicking isn’t going to do anyone any good.”

I got up from my nest on the couch and headed to the family room. I told Tom the situation and said that I thought we should go see if we could help.

I knew that a seventeen year old girl should not be on the side of the road alone at that time of the evening.

Tom drove his van with a tow strap in the back and I drove the girls in my car.

We only had to go about four miles to find Steph. Her cousin, a teenage boy, was already there as well as a friend of his. They had a chain and were preparing to try and pull the truck out of the ditch. It had gone in perpendicular to the road, the front end first into the ditch.

The first thing I did was to ask Steph if she was okay. She nodded but I still hugged her anyway. She was shaking. I told her we’d all put a vehicle in a ditch and even if we hadn’t yet, I looked at Alyssa, I assured Steph that we all would do so at one time or another. I told her I was really glad she was okay.

I could see the relief on the boys’ faces when they saw Tom get out of his van. I think they were glad to see a DAD show up.

Tom suggested that several people get in the back of Steph’s truck and try to weigh down the back tires so they could get a grip and make it possible to just drive the truck out of the ditch.

The cousin’s friend started to hand Steph the keys to her truck, as if to let her try and drive it out of the ditch.

I was like, “No, how about she not be the one to do that.”

The dude nodded and got in the truck himself.

Tom and the cousin got in the back of the truck. Friend started it and at first the tires just spun on the gravel.

Then Tom and Cousin started bouncing in the back of the truck, the tires gained traction and whee, the truck was out of the ditch.

And wonder of wonders, it did NOT fly across the road into the other side of the ditch, which was my biggest fear as Friend was gunning the engine.

His work there done, Tom headed back to his van and hopped in, waving in my direction.

Cousin and his Friend got in their truck and headed off.

I asked Steph, “Do you want us to follow you home?”

She nodded, “You don’t mind?”

I smiled, “Of course not.”

See, this is what friends do. We take care of each other, we mother each other’s kids, we go out even when a storm is coming and help a kid get her truck out of a ditch.

I am so glad we were close by and able to help this sweet girl.

The rain started just after we passed Steph as she pulled in her driveway.

The four mile drive home from her house was an adventure as the wind blew and rain poured.

But it was worth it because a teenage girl was home safe and sound. The only damage to her truck was the front license plate holder.

I call that a good day.