My power chair has been on the fritz for quite a while now, they are coming to look at it Tuesday, because they won’t take it to fix it until they look at it because our word that it doesn’t need ‘looking at’ it needs fixed isn’t good enough, so we’ll have to schedule the pick up after the look at fails. Sorry, I lost control of that sentence. Anyways, I’m using my old scooter which is definitely showing it’s age. It can’t do more than one or two ramps on a charge and it’s simply failing. It’s somewhere just over 15 years old and never had a batter change. But, it allows me to move around my immediate neighbourhood.
We were heading up towards the mall on the north side of the street and I’d made it across the street but the scooter simply stalled, came to a quick stop, as I was riding up the curb cut. I sat there literally and figuratively powerless. The light changed and a woman walking quickly to catch the light came to a dead stop beside me, the idea of going around me hadn’t occurred to her.
“You are blocking my way,” she said.
Now, I’m frazzled and upset and feeling powerless, I had no room left for manners. I said, “Yeah, and I did this just to inconvenience you. I’d planned it for months and it’s worked, I couldn’t be happier.” My face wad deadpan serious. Like I really had planned to pick this woman out of all the people in the world to plot a master plan to be in her way while she walked on the sidewalk.
Taken aback it took her a full few seconds to speak, “That’s silly,” she said.
“As is this whole conversation, and I’m not going to explain to you why I’m sitting here on a scooter with a dead battery cause I figure you surely are able to figure that out.”
Now she felt horrible. Of course I didn’t just park there. Of course. “I’m so …”
“Don’t say it,” I said, “just please walk around.”
She did.
Shit.
Like I freaking planned it.
