carwash waterfalls

My stomach felt as if someone was repeatedly punching me with gusto, hoping to cause pain. My head hurt, my skin was clammy with sweat and I felt hot and cold at the same time. I was trying not to complain too much, but I felt horrible. I was thankful my mom was awake and ready to drive the first shift that day.

After about an hour on the road, we stopped for some vitamin water and gas. I sat curled up in the passenger seat, leaning against a pillow and alternating between clinging to a blanket and kicking it off me. I faded in and out of sleep.

My mom decided to drive us across the street to get the car washed, which I sort of processed before falling back asleep. The next thing I knew…water was raining down on me. I sat up immediately in shock, cold water soaking through my shirt, my nike shorts, dripping off my face and soaking my pillow in a few places. I immediately registered that we were in a carwash and that my side of the car was the only part getting wet. “Holy shit!!!!” I yelled loudly. (My apologies. I know I should have more original, less offensive things to scream in a moment of crisis, but, I don’t.)

Apparently, the sunroof had not been properly closed the night before when we were stargazing in the dark night of Utah. (My fault, I’ll admit, but I feel that is irrelevant.)

My mom, laughing at me in my wet moment of rage, ripped back the sunroof cover. “DON’T DO THAT!” I yelled, pushing her hands away. I knew that the water hose was coming back around and we needed to CLOSE the sunroof, not open it more. I managed to press a few buttons before the machine whipped its soapy waterfall back around, and we sat back in our seats.

I smiled but could not bring myself to bust out laughing, as my mother did for the next few minutes while our car was cleaned and I ripped off my soaking wet shirt. I wrapped myself in the blanket and dug around in the back for dry clothes, while telling my mother I found it very suspicious that a) she had the brilliant idea to wash the car and b) only my side of the vehicle had taken in water – on top of that, not one inch of the actual car got wet.

Nope, my body and clothes were the only victims of the icy, weird smelling carwash rainwater. Thanks, Mom. It’s never boring when you’re behind the wheel.