SPEEDING WITH A SPIDER

My son Alex and I were in the car driving to the park when I heard him say, “Well, hello little guy.”

I looked over to the passenger seat, where he was sitting, and saw his hand up by the top of his window.

“What are you doing?” I asked looking back at the road.

“There’s a spider in the car.”

“Oh.” I nodded my head. “That’s where he went.”

“What do you mean ‘that’s where he went’?” Alex sounded confused as he held the spider by the one strand of silk and began to open the window.

“Yesterday he dropped down from my rear view mirror while I was driving to the store.” I had to laugh. “I was so busy trying to get him out of the car that I didn’t realize I was going over the speed limit.” Still laughing I shook my head. “Can you image, if I’d gotten pulled over, what I’d sound like trying to explain that to a police officer?”

Alex’s window was halfway down when I heard him say, “Whoops!”

“What happened?” I looked over to see him still holding something in his hand but he was looking down at his seat.

“I lost him.”

I sighed. “You know this could have been over yesterday if it wasn’t for you!”

“What?” Alex brushed the web from his hand. “How’s this my fault?”

“That spider would have been squashed when I saw him dropping down from the rear view mirror.” I looked over at him shaking my head. “But then I heard your voice in my head saying ‘Don’t hurt him. He’s just a little spider.’”

Alex laughed. “It’s true. Your first instinct, when you see any bug, is to grab a paper towel and kill it.”

“Hey, if it’s not suppose to be in my house…”

Alex cut me off. “You scoop it up and take it outside.” He was looking down at the side of his seat.

“And that’s why you’re looking for a spider that’s loose in the car.” I reminded him.

“He’ll turn up.” Alex reassured me.

“Sure.” I laughed. “When I’m driving down the parkway going seventy and he crawls across my shirt!”

“Isn’t the speed limit on the parkway sixty-five?”

“Oh, come on!” I cried. “Nobody goes the speed limit around here!”

“I do.” Alex looked over at me and smiled.

I turned into the entrance of the park.

“Okay my little rule follower.” I sighed as I pulled into a parking spot. “Can you please find the spider for me before he causes me to get into an accident.”

“I can certainly try.” He laughed as he opened his door and leaned down to check under his seat. “Hey, little guy. You better come out or the next time she sees you it won’t be good for you.”

“I’d listen to him!” I called out. “He’s not lying!”