Oklahoma State
They say you can run all you want, but you'll never outrun your past. I was putting that theory to the test alongside a rural road, after a memorable morning.
I had awoken alone after a passionate night with my good friend Dedi's lady friend, and ran into him during my morning ablutions when he dropped a surprise on me.
"I volunteered to go back overseas." He said using the toilet next to me.
"Fallujah?" I asked.
"I made that city my bitch a long time ago, and if ISIS... ISIL, or whatever they call themselves think otherwise, they will have to answer to me." Dedi replied.
His words still rang in my ears as I continued my run early morning run beside a farm. What truly bothered me was what Mirabelle had said over breakfast.
"Goodness, when Dedi described you to me, I had thought you'd be much darker!" She said with a smile followed by a laugh.
Being Dutch-Carib in background, I don't always get American humour, and this was a classic example. My flesh colour is similar to a cup of tea with enough milk added to make it cool enough to drink. I stood to excuse myself.
"I hope I didn't offend you?" Mirabelle asked in her Texan drawl.
I however had already left the room.
I ran through a cross road and over a culvert, the urge to clear it before moving on was very strong, but after a deep breath I suppressed the urge. Two tours in Afghanistan with the Dutch army had me thinking twice about all culverts.
A large black Escalade approached from in front, and seemed to be slowing down. I assumed that the platinum blonde in the ball cap was going to ask for directions, however she sped off when the whine of a police siren started to grow louder, soon I could see the blue and red strobe light.
The large police SUV caught up to me, and kept my pace as the window rolled down.
"What are you running from?" Asked a Spanish accented woman's voice.
"My list of sins is long." I replied turning my head to peer inside the SUV.
The driver of the SUV looked almost comical, her long light brown hair was worn loose under her brown Stetson hat. She was dressed in the dark brown and tan uniform of her trade, and her brown eyes looked almost hazel to me as she looked my sweaty body up and down.
"Where are you staying?" She asked.
"Over at Dedi's." I replied.
"Those mother fuckers!" Cried out the woman. "The sheriff is going to be pissed when he hears that people are calling a black-out on a guest of his!"
She spoke so fast I could barely make out her words.
"Get in!" The uniformed woman barked as she stopped then opened the door for me.
She picked up a cell phone and started yelling in Spanish into it, I couldn't keep up with what she was saying, but the word 'mother fuckers' was clearly heard often. I knew I neither under arrest, nor detained; I could have closed the door and finish my run, but I always found myself attracted to passionate women, so I climbed in.
Before I could get my seat belt on, she had tossed the SUV into gear and was speeding down the rural road, still swearing into her phone. Ignoring all that, I tried to strike up some conversation.
"So... have you worked here long?" I asked.
Still holding the phone she replied, "No, I couldn't work here with all these redneck mother fuckers! I'm here on a secondment."
I want to say I was confused, but with her driving habits I was more concerned with arriving at our destination alive. I gave her my name, and held out my hand.
Setting her phone on the dashboard, she shook my hand, her fingers were soft and her nails well manicured with white tips.
"That's Dutch isn't it?" She said referring to my name, I nodded an affirmative.
"My name is Maria Lara Rodriguez Enojado Vasquez." She stated.
I tried to commit it to memory without success.
"I prefer to go by Vasquez." Vasquez said in clarification as she picked up the phone.
"How long are you in town for?" She then barked out.
I didn't reply, as I was uncertain to whom she was speaking to, when she repeated the question again more loudly I replied.
"Uh, just for tonight." I said.
"OK," She said making a sharp turn. "We don't have much time."
"Time for what?" I asked, but she didn't reply.
When the SUV halted we were parked next to a large river, at what appeared to be a park, however with the fog rolling in, I couldn't see far.
"Wait here, I'll be right back." She stated opening her door.
"Do you need a hand?" I offered unsure what she was up too.
"No, I just need to pee." Vasquez said.
"I can stand overwatch." I suggested.
"You Dutch men are sick!" She said with a laugh as she began to close the door. "The fog will do just fine."
She was correct, I followed her in the mirror and after three metres she was gone! I sat there trying to gather my thoughts when she knocked on my window.
"Get out!" Vasquez commanded.
