We made it out of Justin with Antonio and I in the van and Brenda and Anida driving the Vibe with Sally in tow. We decided to take the route through New Mexico, rather than Kansas, to get us through Denver. After stops for Dairy Queen and finding a very nice Starbucks in south Denver, we decided to keep going to Cheyenne.
Bad idea.
We got there around midnight local time, and we pulled into a couple hotels. They were full (a golf tournement was in town). So, the girls went ahead to check out a couple others, while Antonio and some desk clerk got into a "discussion" about whether Wyoming or Texas was the greatest place on earth, with the desk clerk delivering (quite Texas-like) lines such as, "We’ll let you stay here in Wyoming." I stayed out of it.
Anyway, Brenda or Anida called, saying that they found a hotel near downtown, so we made a left out of the hotel parking lot en route to our bed. A cop was coming in the opposite direction, and we made eye contact for a second while we passed each other. I didn’t think too much of it, but Antonio was quick to inform me that he had "pulled a "U"-y" and was following close. I still wasn’t that worried; i was trying to remember the directions that the girls gave us on the phone.
There was quite a few people out and about, but it was a Saturday night. I was going pretty slow, though, because of the foot traffic and because i had no idea where we were going. I finally saw the turn, made my left, missed a parking spot, and began to make my way back around the block. Antonio, meanwhile, chose this time to mention that Mr. Policeman was still following. I made a full circle when Antonio said, "There went his lights." I pulled over to the side, but my first thought was that i wasn’t on a one-way street like i thought i was and was getting busted for being on the incorrect side. I was looking in my mirror, so i missed the car that came skidding to a halt in front of us, blocking our escape (like a loaded U-Haul was really going to gun it).
Anyway, i sat for a minute waiting for the inevitable "Liscence and registration" order, but i was instead treated to a "Hands on the dashboard!" yell.
uh-oh.
I was then ordered out of the car and patted down, then sent to stand near the back of the truck, where i noticed (not one, but . . . ) two cops with guns drawn and pointed at us. Just then, Anida comes running down the sidewalk from where they were standing, yelling, "We’re the wives! What’s going on?" We were informed that the truck was reported stolen and they had to check things out. By this time, Antonio had been pulled out of the car as well, our liscenses (the girls, too) were in the possession of the cops, and i had counted 5 cop cars (as well as a Sheriff) that had bottled us in (again, maybe they had a lot of runaway U-Hauls). As soon as i heard that the hubub was regarding a stolen truck, i calmed down, since i knew it had to have been a misunderstanding. At that point, i still thought it was a little funny that we were hauled out at gunpoint, so i first asked the guy (who turned out to be the sheriff) to turn off my engine, since gas was $3 a gallon (he shrugged and did so). I then asked the group that was standing guard around us if any of them were Nussbaums or Walkers (they weren’t). Antonio was not nearly as gracious, uttering a few choice words as we sat there on the curb. In the rain. At 12:30am. With mothers pulling their children away from us (since we simply had to be criminals. I mean, Antonio’s not white!)
Fast-forward abotu 45 minutes, in which time the cops had informed us that it was a misunderstanding (REEEEEAAAALLY?) and that we would be free to go in a few minutes, we were allowed to leave. They called five hotels for us, but gave up and shrugged their shoulders. We told them that we had experienced quite enough of the town of Cheyenne’s hospitality, and we would much rather keep driving, anyway. Some time later, we made it, tired and quite grumpy, to Laramie.
So, with all due respect to my Wyoming relatives, you can keep your state to your ownselves, because i don’t think we’ll be heading back there any time soon.
Posted by klnussbaum
Posted by klnussbaum
Posted by klnussbaum
