A night

The Wal-Mart parking Lot was the hub of action. If there ever was a Grand Central station of  Wal-Marts this was it. All night long cars whisked in and out of the parking area, all seemed to be in need of new exhaust systems. The constant noise was so incessant that it drove me to the point where I actually went inside the Wal-Mart to buy ear plugs. I was so tired that I didn’t even think of relocating to another, emptier parking lot in the area. I returned to my car to hopefully find a bit of slumber. For a second all was quiet and it seemed like sleep would be in my grasp. This was short lived as the street cleaner came to do its rounds in the parking lot, causing the dog much distress.

I figured if I couldn’t sleep I might as well make use of my time and do a bit of reading. I was planning on reading “On the Road” before I left, but only managed to make a few chapters in. I pulled the book from my bag and laid rather precariously on the front seat of my car, which I laid back in its complete reclined position. It was an awkward pose I struck as I strained to find a comfortable position that allowed for the light of the parking lot to illuminate the pages of my book.

It was sort of a surreal feeling here I am reading about Kerouac’s adventure as I was trying to have one similar to him. Not that I want the same things to happen to me by any means, I just want to have something worthy of writing about. As these thoughts world through my head I became very drowsy. I then made another attempt to grab some Z’s.

There is something to be said about trying to find comfort wile lying in an unnatural position. You just can’t no matter how hard you try. Once my neck felt good my lower back hurt. Once my lower back felt alright my legs were cramped. Once I found a semi-decent position I got hot, and tossed about. Last night the air was rather warm, somewhere around 70 degrees and a bit humid. I had my windows only cracked the slightest to keep the unwelcome sounds of the parking lot out.

Once I did pass out it was only momentarily, I drifted in and out of consciousness for the next 4 hours. For some odd reason there was this honking horn that went off every half hour or so. I came to around 5:30 AM and was freezing cold, the temperature dropped as I lay in my quasi slumber. I reached in the back seat and grabbed my blanket turning my self into an amorphous blue blob with a hat for a head.  I then fell back for yet another short lived nap. I was awoken at 5:57 by employees returning to work. Apparently the far side of the lot all the way in the back is where the employees are all supposed to park. The sounds of their car engines could be heard through my earplugs. One monstrous SUV came rite up beside my car making a loud WUB WUB WUB WUB noise as it pulled into the parking space next to me. This startled me to the point where I sat up intently aware of my surroundings. The poor woman must have been startled as she hoped down from her enormous ride and peered through my driver’s side window to find a man rapped in a blue blanket staring back at here. Then again what business did she have peeking into my car? She then laid some stern facial expression on me, to which I just laid back down and tried to go back to sleep.

I managed to nod off for about another hour, when apparently one of the store managers parked next to me. I herd the roar of his big truck pull rite up next to me. I was just going to lay there and not do anything, when I heard him speaking to another on his cell phone. “Larry their back, we got this damn parking lot turned into sleeping coral!” He was standing next to my passenger side window, so I could only assume he was talking about me and my fellow travelers that had taken up temporary residence in the ample lot. Still I guess it doesn’t look good to have people sleeping in your lot willie nillie. But hay I was a paying customer, I had purchased something that night, and was just taking a nap as I waited for my associate to return from his shopping. At least that was my excuse if I was questioned as to why I was lying there.

I took  this as a sign for me to pack up and head out. I sat there briefly trying to compose myself. Slapping my face and looking around. I put my car in reverse to move to a different location as I tried to figure out my next move. It wasn’t until I pulled out that I noticed the scope of how many employees this Wal-Mart had. The once empty side of the lot was now full up with trucks and SUV’s.  Off I went in search of breakfast and place to brush my teeth.