Lost

I had to pick up a parcel from Welshpool and I’d never been there before, or perhaps many years ago, and I’d forgotten my phone and the precious GPS, and however did we cope without I, but I suppose we had to rely on maps, or those street directories that were always going out of date or getting lost under the seat, or even stopping to ask someone the way, and people were usually trying to be kind and helpful, except the ones who were visitors to the area themselves or didn’t speak English, so I thought I’d be OK without the phone and set off, hopefully in the direction I supposed it was to Welshpool, although because I’d not been there before that was difficult and almost ten minutes from home I already had to stop and ask directions, and I stopped the car in a carpark near a train station and the person I asked got out his phone with Google maps and I searched for a pen in the glovebox but couldn’t find one and he didn’t have one either so I tried to memorise the directions but thought I could drive for another ten minutes then stop again, and if the next person had a pen and paper it would be so much easier, and I felt embarrassed because I didn’t have my phone or a pen and paper and my memory wasn’t good, so these were all handicaps and I almost felt like going home and getting my phone, if I could remember the way back.

Perspiration matted my hair behind my neck, and I grasped the steering wheel tightly, I felt exhausted and could not see how to turn out of this quickly moving traffic. I couldn’t see how I could find someone to ask the way unless I could pull off into a side street. My mind had been so focussed on finding the way to Welshpool, that I hadn’t noticed where I had been heading, and it would not be easy to retrace my steps.

There was another problem to confuse me. I realised I had been following a railway line, which would be a handy way to find my directions back home, I think. But I didn’t live near a railway line. I did anticipate I would find more people in the railway car parks, but they had been leaving the car parks in droves, trying to get home from work.

The sun was setting in the west, so I headed west, as the railway line headed west too. After half an hour there was little sunlight and many grey shadows as the autumn evening came on quickly. I shivered. I had forgotten my jacket and my phone.

I felt nauseated and my stomach protested that I had not eaten for hours. Surely if I kept heading west, I would come to the coast and could find my way north or south from there.

I was totally bewildered. I cursed myself for being so stupid. I had been concentrating on trying to follow directions and had not taken notice of my surroundings as I drove. The streetlights came on. I stopped on the edge of the road. There were no other cars around now. Where on earth was I? Surely the coast was near.

I stared at the pink glow in the sky where the sun had gone down and watched it fade into gray darkness. There must be a shopping centre or a deli soon. Without the sunset showing me the way, I was lost completely.

I hoped I would soon see someone to ask the way. Where was everyone? This seemed to be an industrial area and there were no house lights. I made the mistake of following a street turning right and followed it back to an intersection I remembered I had seen a little while ago. I was travelling in circles.

My watch showed I had been driving for two hours and I suddenly had the bright idea of calling the RAC. But of course, I didn’t have my phone. Stupid! My hands were clammy, and my shirt stuck to my back. The sweat made me cold.

As if nothing else could go wrong, I noticed the fuel gauge light up. I was low on petrol. The nausea overwhelmed me, and I stopped the car again, afraid I would vomit.

Where was everyone? How ever would I find a petrol station? They could tell me the way home. I’d never find anything parked here by the side of the road. Tears of frustration and fear gathered in my eyes. How could anyone get lost in the suburbs?

Shouting and loud music came from a side road on the left. My spirits lifted. But sudden apprehension hit me as the rowdy carful of young men sped past. They saw me and blasted their horn but did not stop. I shivered with cold and fear and determined to leave my car lights on and stand in the headlights and wave down the next car.

I waited for about twenty minutes. My throat was parched and I had nothing with me except some cold dregs in a coffee cup. I swallowed the bitterness. Here were more headlights, maybe they would stop.

By good fortune a young woman with two small children slowed when she saw me, and for a moment I thought she would keep on driving. But no. She wound down her window but kept the car idling so she could take off again quickly if she needed to. But I must have looked forlorn and harmless, and she directed me to the second turn on the left where I would find a petrol station. I thanked her profusely and she took off again.

At the petrol station I was able to fill the engine, buy some hot coffee and a sandwich, and was directed straight down the road to the main highway along the coast. I was miles from home, way up north, but I could find my way easily now. Re-energised and greatly relieved I took off home.