Close Call

Day 276

From out of my driver’s side window I see the grocery cart pick up speed and barrel towards the unsuspecting Camry. 

“Holy smokes!” I yell and jump out of my own car to grab the cart before it hits the sedan. 

A woman watching the action screams and motions wildly to me. “Your car!” I turn to see my own SUV rolling backwards in the parking lot.  In my rush, I forgot to throw it into park. 

“Ahhh!” I scream and dive into the car, simultaneously hitting the brake and shifting gears.  On my stomach, sprawled across the front seat, I look up to see the shopping cart bounce off the front panel of the Camry. 

“What happened?” I. asks.  He’s been in the back seat of my car the whole time, engrossed in Harry Potter, and misses my colossal panic at the cart, then at my rolling car. 

“Give me a second,” I say, panting, heart-racing.

When my breathing calms enough to speak, I turn with a shaky smile and say, “An attempted random act of kindness that nearly led to a three-car pile up.” 

He shrugs and returns to reading.