Sometimes I run errands on behalf of my father, pick up a package here and there, buy supplies and spare parts. That usually means driving hours away and back, which I’m more suited to because I’m cheaper labour than dad taking the time off from his actual work day. On one said occasion of picking up an important replacement part to a forestry machine, my imagination got the best of me.
I am usually quite alert and aware of my surrounding, scanning the environment and people. I don’t do it so much out of fear, but as of interest and curiosity, with addition of entertaining myself. I like to come up with stories to people and entertain scenarios by using only a few bits of visible inspiration given to me. Nine times out of ten it’s just fun and makes me pass the time, but then there is that one time when it makes me paranoid. This case is the one out of ten.
I was driving to the outskirts of a small city, to an industrial area with tens of different companies and their similar grey warehouses, trying to find that one I needed to be at. Many of the companies share a facility and they don’t have big signs on the road to point direction, so I took a few wrong turns and had to turn back before I found the right crossing.
As I was turning to the right stretch of road, at the same time there was a dark grey van turning to the same road from the opposite direction. They parked after me to the same lot, but in front of a different building as I was going in. As it was a quiet Tuesday, I took a note of the other car, but thought nothing more of it.
I went inside the factory and after telling them my fathers name, they gave me the parts and the bill that were there already waiting for me. I was inside probably less than a minute.
As I came outside it just started raining and I hurried to my car (editors note: mom’s car). I glanced at the grey van as I walked to my car, thinking it was parked a bit odd, in from of the doors and a little sideways. I tried to see if there were people inside, I wasn’t sure but at least a driver, maybe someone on the passenger seat also.
I packed out of the parking spot and started to navigate my way out of the city. The grey van immediately started to follow me, or rather, left also and headed to the same direction. Interesting, but obviously not unheard of, they did their business fast too. It took a couple of turn and two roundabouts to head away from the city, via a smaller, less used road, and the van was going to the same direction as me.
It was a dreadful day, the rain soon turned into heavy slush, and it was grey and muddy everywhere. The traffic was slow, and the radio in my car doesn’t work well when outside of the city and my headphones were somewhere in the bottom of my bag. I’m telling you this so you’d understand my need to entertain myself with something else, that being coming up with a story inside my head, and then starting to believe it.
The van was behind me as I turned one last time to the road that would take me out of the city. I was heading towards north from the city, way a backroad because it would cut back some time, especially with road construction on the big road.
The road is small and winding, and after about 30 kilometers, it comes to an intersection where I’d turn right to the big road north. Within this 30 or so kilometers, I started to really wonder if the grey van was following me. If I’m not completely mistaken, either the military or the police force, or both, use these dark grey Volkswagens for stuff where they want to be a little more inconspicuous.
I drove slowly because the weather was shit, and I knew there is a slight problem with the back wheel bearings or something like that, so the car wasn’t as steady as it should be. Usually someone driving after you would want to go past if you are driving below the speed limit, but the van didn’t want to, which I found odd. Sure the road doesn’t have the best visibility, but on longer straight parts, there were plenty of opportunities to go past me. They didn’t. And they actually kept a fair distance, way more than necessary for normal road safety.
A few times I tried to slow down so much that they’d have to get closer to me, while using the back windshield wipers to get the mud off, to try and see the license plate. It was a failed effort, I could only make up a P or R and an O.
We were getting closer to the intersection, where if you drive straight, you can get to the military base. I figured the van must be heading that way, it looked like something the military police would use and it would make sense.
We come to the crossroad, it’s a busy road, three options. Left goes back to the city, straight is to the military bace, right is towards north, where I would be heading. I take the right, and so does the van behind me. Now my mind is in full paranoia mode. Why would they be following me? I haven’t done anything and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone more patriotic than me. Maybe it’s a mistaken identity. What could it be?
Sidenote: I was wearing a long dark wool coat, fashioned after WW2 military uniforms of the higher ranking officers, with black boots and a red lip. I couldn’t look more like a Russian super spy even if I tried to.
I still have 100 kilometers to go, three turn before I’m back homehome. Should I take a wrong turn to make sure they don’t follow me home. Should I call dad. No. He would think I’m mental. Hell, I think I’m mental! Okay calm down, they are not following you, you are not the only person on the road in the middle of the day and heading towards north on the biggest highway running from south to north.
I come up with a plan: there is a junction about 15 kilometers out, that takes to two gas stations next to each other. Probably about half the cars turn to stop there for gas and or food when driving by, BUT most will drive to ABC, and only a few will stop at the Shell station. Here is what I’m gonna do, I’m taking the exit, and instead of going to the ABC like any normal person, I’ll stop at Shell, and if they do so too, I can be quite sure there is something fishy going on.
I take the exit, and they don’t. PHEW! Okay. Cool cool. I have no need to go to the gas station, so I pass them by, driving straight back to the highway, and now I’m following the van, with a few cars in between. Now I’m fairly certain I’m no longer in danger, but I wanna make sure they go a different way at the upcoming intersection.
I keep a few cars between me and them, and it’s easy for me to see the van driving straight towards north, when I make a left after them towards north-west. I laugh at my own imagination for the rest of the drive, and stop to dig out my headphones so I can listen to music.
I swear to you, on one of these occasions, my overactive imagination will save my life. Who knows, maybe it has already done so.
