Running Away

This prompt comes from Mama's Losin' It.



Tell about a time that you ran away.

After over thirty years, the details are fuzzy, but I do remember that my mama and I were arguing. We were always arguing back then. Sometimes I think the fact that one or the other of us was still breathing was the only prompting needed for an argument. I will admit to being a sassy, back-talking kid, but Mama had her moments, too. :)

Anyway, this particular night, I determined that I would just run away to put her out of the misery of having me as a daughter. I ran to the end of our driveway (500 feet long) and sat on the little hill behind our mailbox contemplating what I should do next. I had never run away before and had no clue what came next, though I was pretty sure that leaving my daddy's property played a big part in it. And, yet, there I was, still sitting there behind his skull and cross-bones, no trespassing sign.

I don't know how long I sat there, but it was long past dark time. I wasn't so fond of the dark back then. Then, I saw them. Headlights heading down our country road. Ok, I thought, I'll just shrink back into the hill until it passes.

It didn't pass. It turned down our driveway.

I freaked.

I hopped up from the hill and ran all the way back home. What a baby!

Nobody had come looking for me, but looking back, I'm figuring that Mama knew that I would be back and she knew this was a decision that I had to make on my own. And if I didn't, well, that's one less mouth that she had to worry about feeding and back-talking her.

How embarrassing to walk back in the door of that house!

I often wonder what would have become of me had I continued on that journey and not been scared home by that car turning into our driveway. It could have been something totally horrible or it could have been the best thing that ever happened to me.

In the end, no matter how much grief my mama and I gave each other, I am glad that I went back home. Had I run away at that point, I likely would have never met the man that I eventually married or had these precious babies.

So, Mama, thanks for raising a girl that was scared of the dark and too chicken to complete a runaway. You know how you said, "one day, you'll thank me for this"? I'm thanking you now.

Love you, Mama. Happy Mother's Day.