Encounter 47

CHAPTER 32
ENCOUNTER 47
Allen just stood there in the rain. Car after car passed by and the drivers would just stare at him as he’d stare back. He was soaked from head to toe, down to the last hair in his entire body. He was standing in front of the headlights of his car that was just sitting, engine on, on the emergency lane in the highway. He never motioned anybody, didn’t try to flag anybody down. He would just stare down the drivers that would pass by as they stared at him.
The minutes passed, and they turned into hours. He noticed that a couple of police officers passed by without stopping. The rain must really be falling hard he thought. No matter, he didn’t flinch.
At times the rain would die down a little. Then it would return to a fullfledged downpour. Allen was shivering so hard you’d swear his teeth would start falling out any second. But he didn’t move. He never attempted to walk away from his car down the exit ramp less than a fourth of a mile away and into the shopping center waiting just east of the exit. Allen just stood. And stared.
Then suddenly it happened. A car slowed down as it passed. It pulled over some 200 feet in front of Allen and began to drive slowly in reverse in the emergency lane until it was less than 10 feet from him. A window creaked open and a voice could be heard even though Allen couldn’t make out the words. Allen looked towards the drivers seat from the rear of the car, and shook his head while he pointed to his ear. He mouthed out “I can’t hear you”, though he was sure that there was no way the driver could read his lips through the rear car window. A moment passed.
Then the door opened. A very attractive young woman steps out of the car wearing hiphuggers and a shirt that contoured her body and showed most of her well toned abs. Allen wasn’t sure where she had come from, but he surely liked what he saw. No matter, who she was or what she wore were not important.
“Do you need a ride?” the girl asked. Allen noticed how the rain made her look extremely sensual, and hesitated before answering.
“No,” he said, “but thanks.”
“Are you sure? I mean, you’re soaking wet. Is your car broken or something?”
Allenhad already composed himself and his answer came quickly. “No there’s nothing wrong with my car. I’m just waiting for somebody?”
“Here? Couldn’t you think of a better place to meet up with somebody, especially on a day like today? It is kind of dangerous here. Farnkly, I’m freaking out here with the low visibility and the cars driving dangerously fast in this weather. Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”
Allen smiled. “No, I’m fine thanks. I really appreciate you stopping, but it won’t be necessary. You’re right, it’s dangerous here. You should go before a car swerves and hits you or your car. Thanks again.”
The young woman looks at him incredulously, gives him a confused smile, then turns back towards her car. Just then, Allen adds, “God bless you!”
She turns to look at him as she’s about to enter the car and speaks up loud enough for him to hear her, “Thanks, but I don’t believe in God.”
“Maybe not, but you still heard him when he asked you to stop for me.” was Allen’s reply, “Again, God bless you.” Through the rain he offered her a big toothy smile.
The young woman slowly entered the car while looking at Allen. The rain had subsided a bit and he could see her well enough to recognize that she didn’t know what to make of the situation. She finally closed the door behind her and eased away.
Allen watched the car go out of sight. He then turned around walked to his car and got in. He took out a pad of paper with some writing on it, looked at his watch and jotted down the time. “Two hours and 46 minutes,” he murmurred to himself. “I never had waited so long before. Man, God, you must have had a plan for her. Usually you send somebody in less than 30 minutes.”
The response came, “She was busy. But she’s the one that needed to hear that today, so I waited for her. You did good.”
“Thanks, but next time send me at a better time, OK? You know, closer to encounter time. At least, we know. There still is hope in this world. There will always be someone who cares. I’m going home now. But you knew that already, didn’t you?
“That I did, my son, that I did, just as I know that there will always be hope in the world, thanks to people like you who search for it.”
“And people like her who offer it,” was Allen’s reply. He stopped writing in his journal. He closed the book as he glanced at his heading for the day… Encounter 47.
“47 for 47… there is always hope,” he whispered to himself, then began his short drive home. “There is always hope.”
THE END