On Empty

       My phone rang. It was a girlfriend of mine. "You're never going to believe this" she says "I ran out of gas across the street from you."
       She wanted to come sit with me until AAA could get to her but I had a can of gas in the garage, "Just sit tight for a sec" I tell her.  
        I grabbed my umbrella (Did I mention it was raining?) and went to the garage.  As I crossed the street a patrol car pulled up to the light. He sees me, umbrella in one hand, huge gas can in the other.  I get to my friends can just as the patrol car makes his turn and drives past us. Yup, past, as in didn't stop. We get the safety valve on the can open and start adding gas to her tank when a SUV pulls up and out pops another friend of mine.  She had seen me and wanted to make sure I wasn't the one needing help. Thankfully she had an umbrella because in order to hold the gas can I'd had to put mine down.  So now there are three ladies standing in the road filling up a tank.  One is holding the safety valve open, I'm tilting the can up and the other is holding the umbrella. A pick-up goes by and we hear two men laughing through the open slit of their window.  Nice. I'm sure we were a sight, wet hair sticking to our faces, none of us wearing anything warm enough to be out there, obviously ran the tank too long on empty. We have no idea how much gas is getting into the tank or how much she even needs before it will start again so we decide to check what the dash board says.  To do this we stop filling, take the can to the curb and wait. Nothing. So back we go, fingers freezing, trying to re-open the safety valve and add more gas. We are the perfect cliche of ditsy women.  Second time is the charm and she is able to get the car started. We say our goodbyes, I retrieve my umbrella, pick up my now lighter gas can and walk back home. I'm cold, I'm wet, my just washed and styled hair is a mess, I got laughed at. Being a friend is hard sometimes. Being a good friend can be a full time job sometimes. I am so glad I have friends that know they can count on me and friends that will stop in the rain when they see me on the side of the road.  I'm so glad I have friends I don't need to keep score with. This friend of mine? The one who ran out of gas? She takes care of me too.  She's driving me to the Airport in a few weeks and then picking my kids up from school.  Stand in the rain for her? You bet I will!