Sure, the gas gauge was pegged into the red, and yes, poor Bella-Simone did sputter and try to function valiantly for the last two miles before giving up and rolling to a humiliated stop. Doubting that so much time and distance had passed , I just didn’t believe it could be as low as it showed. Time had been slipping away from me.
I wasn’t willfully ignorant….earlier in the day, I had done a visual check and confirmed there was fluid shimmering in the bottom of the tank. Sometimes you can’t believe appearances, however.
Exhausted from adding extra hours at work to an already full-time grad school schedule and two deadlines plus writing a speech for a large fundraiser, there just hadn’t been enough of anything in my life except stress. I wasn’t eating or sleeping enough, there was not enough time in the day, or enough wine in the bottle to ease the feeling that my face was trying to slide off my head.
So it was really no wonder that on my way home from work, dusk rolling in, and rain drops spattering, Bella and I sputtered to a stop.
Despite that I have never run out of gas in any vehicle before, it was clear that we had no more go-juice. Thankfully, Bella-Simone has a reserve tank that I don’t personally possess.
The knob to switch to the reserve is located between my legs, within easy reach and I just wanted to get back on the road. Reaching down to switch it over, BANG! I slammed my helmeted head into the left mirror. Immediately I changed tactics and BANG! Slammed my head into the right mirror. Dammit! I knew I could reach that switch! Scooting back on my seat, I tried again. BANG! BANG! Into the windscreen.
There on the side of the road, I was so tired I could hardly figure out why I kept hitting my head. I just needed to GET OFF THE SCOOTER STUPID! in order to switch the knob!
I never claimed to be a quick learner. Or exceptionally bright. But, I do possess a sense of humor and, as I do so often when I observe myself, I chose a half crazed giggle over tears.
Tank switched, Bella-Simone roared to life happily, and we stopped at the gas station ¼ mile away to fill up.
I went to bed early instead of studying. And I took things off my calendar for next week.
We will see how long this lesson lasts…..