CRYING LOST

by Danna Shirley

Japan, 1992...
You've never been lost until you've been lost in a foreign country and can't speak the language.

We had only been in Japan a short time when my son, Aaron's friend, Bubba (Derrick Pruitt), told us about an indoor water park. With my family of five, plus Bubba, we had to take two cars to get us all there.

Unfortunately I forgot to remind my husband, Ron, not to lose me behind him. As we weaved in and out of traffic with me panicking to keep up, we got separated by a big truck. Ron was totally out of sight when he, of course, took an exit. He told me later he watched from the overpass and waved as I drove under and beyond where I should have turned. Bubba was in the back seat not paying any attention to where I was driving.

Now I was on a toll road and was determined I would not pay because I had made the mistake of being there. All I wanted to do was turn around. Would they let me...BUT NO! They had me park and all of us piled out of the car and into the toll office while they called someone who could speak English.

Kristen said, "Mom, please just pay the toll," but I was the Ugly American and argued on the phone with the interpreter. They would not budge so I paid, but under protest.

Bubba finally got us to the water park. The rest of our party was already there...except Ron. He had gone back to the exit looking for me. When he finally came back to the park, he found me lounging in a chair watching the kids have fun in the wave pool.

With the frustrated look on his face, all I could say was, "You shouldn't have lost me behind you!"