The Periscope Was Up, But There Was No Submarine.

The Periscope Was Up, But There Was No Submarine.

In the early 90’s I was going through a nasty divorce and had relocated to this area. I had taken a job at a local greenhouse delivering plants in four states to several different retailers. Every other week the distance required a two-night stay away from home.

I had started dating my soon to be X when I was 13, had married him when I was 19 and had been married to him for 20 years. I had been pretty much tied down after the third child was born, so it was exciting to travel through 4 states and see the scenery and be out on my own. It was also the first time I had ever left my children overnight, the first time I had ever driven a large extended delivery van, and the first time I had ever stayed in a motel. I was soon to discover there were several other firsts I hadn’t counted on.

The first time I checked into a motel I told the clerk I had to be where I could keep an eye on the van overnight. My boss was adamant about that. They assigned me a room toward the back and told me I could use the side door to save a long walk from the lobby. As I was carrying my bag in the side door, a couple was exiting at the same time and held the door for me. I called my kids, unpacked, and headed out to look for a decent place to eat.

It was dark by the time I got back to the motel and a drunken party was in full swing on the second floor with people on the balcony, and on the grounds below. A couple of the drunks invited me to the party and I politely declined. They decided to not take no for an answer and started after me. I ran for the side door and the damn thing was locked. I was frantic, I didn’t want to run into the dark and I couldn’t go back the way I came. I assumed my battle stance (No it was not curled up on the ground in a fetal position). I had studied Aikido for a few years several years before and hoped I remembered some of the moves.

There I stood weighing in at 105 lbs., blonde, and bowlegged ready to do battle. Imagine the fear I struck in the hearts of those drunks!

A couple I hadn’t noticed sitting in a car called out to me to use my key to unlock the door. I had no idea my room key would work there. I was very thankful to that couple but didn’t take the time to thank them properly. I made it to my room and collapsed on the bed laughing myself silly.

I got an early start the next morning and by early afternoon was in my last city on my route with three of the four stores left to deliver to.

At the first store I had noticed a man staring at me from an old beat up looking car. He was a young man, late 20’s and unkempt looking. It gave me the creeps but I decided I was paranoid from the night before.

When I returned to the van he had pulled his car to parking spot so his car was nose to nose with the van, and he was still staring at me. I have to admit he scared me, he had a crazy look to his eyes. I wondered if my X had paid someone to whack me. I got the rejected plants loaded and without looking at him again went to the next store.

This time as I was unlocking the van to get in he pulled in the open spot next to me, with his passenger side next to my driver side and his window rolled down. I remember thinking, "Don’t look at him, don’t look at him, just get in the van and get out of here."

When I looked at him, my mouth dropped and I froze. It seems he did have an agenda. His, ummm periscope up, and there was no submarine anywhere around.

I thought, "Well that is not the kind of gun I expected! Just get slowly into the van, do not look at him again, and drive away fast!"

When I looked again, it struck me as so odd that the back seat of his car had fishing poles setting against the seat. Had he told his unsuspecting loved one he was going fishing?

I’m always so great in an emergency. My mind is so reasonable and giving me such good advice, while my mouth catching my mind occupied goes in to overdrive. I was thinking "Just leave, quickly, he is dangerous, get away from him", when I heard my mouth saying, "You asshole, you pervert, what is your problem? I have a place for your fishing poles! For God’s sake! Finish what you are doing, put that thing away and get the hell out of here or I am going to start screaming loud enough for your poor wife to hear me wherever she is."

A cart boy who had been gathering shopping carts was standing there staring at me. When I yelled for him to call the police, the pervert took off. The cart boy tried to chase him and I chased the cart boy. I was afraid the pervert might run him down or something.

We didn’t call the police or make a report. We failed to get a tag number and I had no idea what kind of car he drove. I didn’t think the police artist would be interested in doing a drawing of what I could describe.

My last stop I parked at the front door. I had the manager escort me out when I was done and at the far end of the parking lot we saw the old car leave. This guy had some kind of weird obsession toward me.

I was supposed to go to local businesses and solicit for new clients for the greenhouse. I didn’t do it that day. I was 60 miles from the greenhouse and I didn’t want to drive after dark.

My boss was mad because I came in early and wanted to dock my pay $45.00. We argued and I quit. She called the next day and wanted me to come back but I refused. I just couldn’t shake the image of the demented look in that man’s eyes. For months I worried that he had somehow followed me and knew where I lived, but to my knowledge he hadn’t.

I have always felt guilty that I didn’t make a police report. It was incredibly thoughtless of me to not report him and I hope I didn’t leave him free to harm someone.