Ma Shot the Sheriff

I used to drive back and forth to Walterboro, where my parents lived, almost every weekend because they wanted to babysit for my son, John. They would always say, “If you're going out or away for the weekend, please drop John off of that so we can watch him for you.” We very, very seldom had a sitter other than my parents.

This one particular day, Mama decided that she would come back to Charleston with us and spend the night. Great! We always loved having her. We gathered up everything that she needed and headed to Charleston. Well, we were a little late leaving Walterboro and we had to get back in time to pick up David, my husband, from work.

So off we go...

Trying to make up the time— the clock was ticking away—and I decided I'd go just a little faster. I had to get back to Charleston before David got off. I was barreling down the dual lane—approaching Ravenel—when I spotted a policeman going in the opposite direction. “Oh my goodness,” I thought. “I think he is going to turn around to pull me!”

I headed on down the highway—slower of course—and I looked in my rearview mirror and he was breaking!!! “I'm dead,” I thought. Never had a ticket but I think that’s going to change today!!!

If I could have found a side road that I could have turned onto or escaped down, I would have! “Really, Jeannie? This was HIS area and you don't think he would know all the little side streets and where they go? How naive can you be?”

My heart was pounding in my chest! I'm really dead! All this was going on in my head... I saw him coming up behind me... blue light flashing! Ma knew nothing except we were in a hurry to get to Charleston.

I started to pull off the road onto the right shoulder on the dirt! When I did, my mom grabbed the dash, thinking we were going to wreck, running off the road and into the ditch. “Jeannie-- what are you doing? You are scaring me!”

I said, “Mom, I think I'm being pulled by that policeman behind me and I just wanted to get away but I had nowhere to go!”

And we both just sat there waiting to see what would happen next...

The policeman got out of his car, he walked up to my window and leaned down to address the situation. And, as he leaned down into my window-- I burst out, “Well I hope you are satisfied. You have scared my mother half to death! She thought we were running off the road and we were going to have a wreck!!!”

He stood there a moment.

Then he said, “Well, I thought you were speeding but it might have been that tractor-trailer that was passing you at the same time.” Never asking me for my license or my insurance, he tipped his hat, saying “You ladies have a nice day.” He got back in his patrol car and drove away.

My mom looked at me and said, “Jeannie, there was no other traffic on the road, so there was no truck!”

I said, “I know, Mom.”

I started the car, slowly pulled out on the highway and headed for home. I was so stressed and nervous that I shook all the rest of the way home!

I was so thankful that the kind policeman decided not to ticket me. But, I don't think he knew what to say either. We were a few minutes late getting home to pick up David but at least we were safe.

Even though the policeman didn't give me a ticket, it did slow me down and made me think about leaving earlier so that I would never be in that situation again.

Oh—and did I mention—the policeman was real cute!?

~ Jeannie Joyner