Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Car Trip (07/18/05)
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TITLE: The Quiet Road | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jessica Boling
07/25/05 -
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The highway was heavy with traffic. Other cars passed me constantly. A blond woman in a BMW zoomed up behind me. She honked in frustration before changing lanes and passing on the left, sending me a look of disgust as she went by. Clenching my teeth, I accelerated. Just a little faster.
A green sign above the interstate caught my attention. Junction – 1 Mile. My right foot relaxed. I had to think. The fork in the highway appeared. I had to make a decision. Which way?
To the left, the highway blossomed into a six-lane interstate, apparently an expressway to a large city. The lady in the BMW gracefully turned onto it when she reached the fork, immediately cutting across to the left lane so she could accelerate on the smooth, freshly paved road.
To the right, the two lanes soon merged into one. The pavement appeared old and crack-ridden. Looking around, it seemed that only older cars chose this route, and they were forced to slow down to 50 miles per hour simply to avoid the potholes.
It was not a difficult decision. Everyone who was anyone took the main thoroughfare. I was sure it would get me to my destination faster. When I reached the junction, I turned left.
I marveled at the smooth ride. A speed limit sign read 80 mph. With a satisfied smile, I leaned back comfortably in the driver’s seat and let my foot fall more heavily on the gas pedal.
After just a few miles, however, the traffic began to increase. Sleek, stylish cars packed all six lanes. Their sleek, stylish drivers leaned on their horns, faces flushed with anger. The back-up was one of the worst I have ever seen, but it was made unbearable by the behavior of the drivers. The honking continued in a seamless racket. Power windows rolled down so drivers could hurl insults at one another. A few especially irate drivers began ramming their cars into other vehicles.
With a pang, I remembered the quieter branch of the road. For the first time, I wished I had turned right. The quiet, the green fields by the roadside, the sparse traffic, and even the rough road – all of it seemed better than this.
Looking around, I realized there was no way I could turn around. I was in one of the middle lanes, surrounded by heavy traffic. Slowing down, I flipped on my right turn signal.
A chorus of car horns and yelled insults greeted my attempt. It’s hopeless. I’m stuck here.
Every minute exacerbated the unpleasant conditions. The heat was stifling; my air conditioner must have malfunctioned. The lanes, wide at first, became so narrow that all the cars were in danger of scraping each other. Even the road quality deteriorated. There were bumps and potholes everywhere, but the movement of traffic was so slow that I hardly noticed them. I felt claustrophobic. Trapped.
My heart rate accelerated at the sound of a police siren. Somehow, he was squeezing through the intense traffic. I tried to get out of his way, but there were large SUVs on either side of me and I couldn’t budge.
But the officer didn’t want me to get out of his way. When he pulled up directly behind me, he stopped. Getting out of his patrol car, he approached my window. Gulping, I rolled it down. What was I in trouble for?
“Did you miss your turn?” he asked, the hint of a smile in his eyes.
I was aghast. The officer grinned at my blank expression.
“How did you know?” I finally managed.
“That’s not important at the moment,” he replied, his eyes darting from car to car in the surrounding traffic jam. “What’s important is that I escort you back to the junction so you can try again.”
“You’ll...escort me? Really?”
He smiled again at my shock. “Of course. Just follow me; I’ll clear a path to the shoulder so you can make a U-turn. Once you’re going the other direction, you’ll have no trouble with the traffic.”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I’ve been wishing I was on the other road ever since I got on this one.
The officer nodded. “The quiet road has its rough spots, but it will get you where you want to go.”
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