Saturday, March 31, 2007

Dangerous Curves

I saw her crossing the street as I rounded a bend on the way home. My son was asleep in the seat beside me, his head hanging on his chest. I was grateful he was asleep, because I try not to swear around kids, but she was so amazing, an expletive slipped from my lips.

There was no rush in her slow voyage across the asphalt, and I was glad of that. She had the kind of curves that could make a man risk everything to get close to her ... yet, I really wanted to get closer.

I slowed to let her cross and she turned to look at me. Our eyes met ... locked and she continued to move forward while looking back at me. If you've ever done "Eyes Right!" in a parade formation you know the movement ... except, this was done with a dangerously curvy body.

She was beautiful.


I couldn't help myself, I stopped in the middle of the road and stared. She raised her head at this, but still she stared back. She stopped too.

I thought about my wife, my kids, my present life. To go to her would risk it all ... and yet she was a siren calling me out of the JEEP.

If I were single, I don't think I would have hesitated to go to her, but the sleeping kid beside me reminded me of my responsibilities.

In my rearview mirror, an approaching school bus a half mile behind me snapped me out of my indecisive fog. The boy should see this, after all he's closer to manhood than boyhood now.

I nudged him awake. He looked at me with a sleep dopey befuddlement. I pointed at her.

He turned and looked forward, "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD!" was all he could get out.

The yellow school bus was getting closer in my rearview, I stuck my arm out and waved it around.

It passed on the left and we sat there, both of us staring, until the six foot diamondback rattlesnake was safely off the road and headed into the palmettos.

Dangerous curves indeed.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Slytherin House, both of you, I'd bet.

pablo
www.roundrockjournal.com

Anonymous said...

You're an oak. I know I would have tried to catch it. I don't know what I would have done with it afterward though.

ImagineMel said...

re: Kevin, I'm pretty confident I know what I'D do with it. *evil laugh*

Thanks for my gift. Maybe my thumb will start to turn colors this spring! ;)

Anonymous said...

Of course, how do we know it was a girl snake?

pablo
www.roundrockjournal.com

R.Powers said...

Pablo,
Size matters.

Kevin,
She was the best I've ever seen. As big around as they get I think.

Mel,
Good luck!

threecollie said...

Yow...we have eastern diamondbacks across the river, and although I am a big fan of all things herptile, I hope to heck they stay there!

Dr. Know said...

Too bad you have no pictures to remember her by, and the memory is condemned to fade. (Never thought of snakes in such a salacious manner. Good thing for you it's the weekend, perhaps you'll get lucky.)

robin andrea said...

She must have been a beauty. Good thing you woke Jr. so he could share the experience.

Rurality said...

Y'all are cracking me up.

Camera! Have camera at all times!

LauraHinNJ said...

This was good reading and fun to imagine what *she* might turn out to be.

Deb said...

Good storytelling! But, just the same, Minnesota is just fine without diamondbacks.

Paintsmh said...

Yikes. Not something I want to come across. I'm with my mom. They can stay on the other side of the river, and I will be perfectly happy.

R.Powers said...

ThreeCollie,
If only a river separates you, I won't tell you about the many times I've seen them swimming across such things ...nope, I won't mention it at all.

Robin,
Magnificent. She crossed the road with the first foot of her body up and her head angled at the JEEP, daring it to come closer. Supreme animal confidence.

Rurality and Doc,
I always* do. I even picked it up that morning,thought about my schedule, and put it back down as there did not seem to be any moments work free. Actually, if I had it, I would have missed this snake, because I would have stopped to photograph the first rattlesnake about a mile earlier (only a 3 footer) and this one would have been long gone by the time I got there.

Laurahinnj,
Thank you! I was hoping for that effect.

Deb,
Ohhh come on now, it adds spice to a woods walk.

Pablo,
I had to google Slytherin house. That whole series puts me to sleep.

R.Powers said...

Painstmh,
Oops! I missed your comment. Just how wide is that river? :)

Anonymous said...

I love big snakes! No camera with you? I would like to see a six foot diamondback- very cool. Once, on a little island in Mexico, we were scooting back to our hotel in the golf cart (no cars) and Abby called out "speed bump!" It was an ENORMOUS snake about 5 inches around and both ends were off either side of the road. Not sure what it was, but it slithered across. I have a picture of that one.

So, those Gators. We're going to game tomorrow night- will post updates. :-)

R.Powers said...

Vicki,
Those tickets and passes you have ... I think my wife would gladly change husbands for those perks.

Paintsmh said...

Unfortunately, I'm thinking probably not wide enough...

Anonymous said...

Hub used to do the same thing, he'd pull over and just stare at them as if it were a thing of beauty. Well it is, to him. I was always worried because he has caught two of them and I believe your luck will only hold out for so long... lol

If it's starting to warm up out there, you should be seeing more of them these days!

R.Powers said...

I never grab the poisonous clan.
All others are fair game.