I could see the flashing lights in my rear view mirror, a blurred mixture of blue and white, gaining on me, as I strolled leisurely up the motorway, back to the big smoke. 'Look's like they're after somebody in a big hurry,' I thought to myself, as all the possibilities of their chase, sprung to mind. Maybe it was a stolen vehicle, a robbery, possibly a terrorist, as we were still at the height of the troubles, a failed tail light, a fused headlamp, a speedster. It certainly wasn't a mobile phone user since such gadgets at the time would probably have occupied most of the car boot and anyway they didn't exist, at least to my knowledge. Anyway, by this stage, the car behind was in the outside lane and almost level with me when I noticed that it was no longer accelerating away into the distance but riding perfectly parallel to myself. And when I happened to risk one eye off the road and glance to my right, the 'gentleman' seated on the passenger side was clearly visible through his wound down window and seemed to be beckoning me to draw to a stop on the hard shoulder. Which of course I did, not having committed any misdemeanour but still slightly apprehensive as to why I had been singled out for special attention by Her Majesty's constabulary. Pulling in to a stop just a few feet ahead, eventually the door opened and a uniformed 'gentleman' emerged, now fully attired with his hat and swaggered his way towards my window. Was I aware that I had passed a car just a mile or so earlier? Of course I was, for it happened to be a mate who was also returning to the big smoke, after we had been playing some music together at a studio nearby. Did I realise that after I overtook this other vehicle, that I had flashed my left and right indicators alternatively and repeatedly for several seconds? Of course I was, for he was a mate and it was just my way of saying goodbye. Did I know that such action was a hazard to other drivers using the motorway? Unfortunately I did not, especially as the time was well past midnight and no other cars could be seen for miles. Was I aware that the 'gentlemen' in the car with the flashing blue and white lights had no idea where I was going to turn right or left? Unfortunately I was not aware of this fact, but since the vehicle in question had been parked on a flyover near the slip road from whence I had emerged on to the motorway and had no intention of driving anywhere until they saw a possible target, I didn't see it as a potential problem. Anyway, if I had been intending to turn right, I would have needed to drive across the central reservation hedge that divided the two carriageways and this did not seem likely at the time. Did I realise that I could be booked for such an irresponsible action but this time I would get off with just a warning? No I didn't realise that at all but clearly there is nothing wrong with your eyesight if you could see me from over a mile away on your lofty perch. Oh and by the way, you might have been better stopping my mate who is probably getting close to the end of the motorway now, for he's only a learner driver so he took his L plates down to drive home because you're not allowed to drive on the motorway if you are a learner. That's the way I would have liked to answer all the questions and accusations thrown at me that night nearly thirty years ago, but the truth is the most I could muster was 'yes sir,' 'no sir' and 'sorry sir, I won't do it again.' And my friend got away.
By the time I saw the 'gentleman' standing, waving at me in the middle of the road, I knew already that his 'hairdrier' had seen me several seconds earlier. I had only left school in the previous minute, working out that the book I needed and that was sitting on the table at home, some three and a half minutes away, could easily be retrieved during the morning fifteen minute break. Emerging from the front door of my place of work, I had hurriedly, but not excessively driven off in the direction of my destination and had only travelled about two hundred yards when I began to realise that the waving hand in the distance might not be an indication that the 'gentleman' either knew me or wanted to be my friend. Did I realise that this was a thirty miles per hour zone? Of course , I did, because I have travelled this road to school, both as a pupil and now as a teacher for over thirty years and often I could reach speeds of well over thirty as I freewheeled down the hill on my bicycle. Did I know that the area I had just passed was a primary school and as such I posed a threat to their safety? Not really, as all the pupils were horded into the school hall as I left, on this rather wet morning and none had escaped, to my knowledge. Was I aware that I had reached the speed of thirty seven miles per hour and as a teacher in the said primary school, was setting a poor example to the local community and should be made an example of? No, but then if I was late back for class, the pupils would not be supervised and would be losing valuable education time. Oh and by the way, don't ever end a sentence with the word 'of ', it's just such bad English.
That's the way I would have liked to have answered all his questions and accusations but in truth the best I could manage was 'yes sir', 'no sir' and 'I'm sorry.' But I did half wish a golf ball coming at speed over the neighbouring wall, wouldn't have been picked up on his radar and might just have knocked a little bit of sense into the nice 'gentleman' who had spent most of the morning hiding behind a couple of pillars with his colleagues, just waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting pillar of the community and exercise some authority.
Look, to be honest, I probably deserved the rap over the knuckles and some of those 'gentlemen' have been and still are my best friends. I think Stevie and the guys in the local station would have enjoyed seeing me grovel, so much stick did I give them about their visits to the village shop for scones. But they were always there when we needed them and we just didn't have any real crimes in the area because those guys lived among us and everybody respected them for doing just that.
I'm constantly challenged in my Christian walk to remember that even when I'm not among fellow believers or just on my own, I have a responsibility to live out my faith correctly. Often I fail to do so and it makes me so disappointed in myself because I have forgotten that when nobody is around, God still is and knows every thought, action and word of mine. Elihu, one of Job's 'comforters' recognised this when he told Job, 'His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.' Likewise the Psalmist writes in chapter 33, 'From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind.' There is nothing hidden from Him, but He is prepared to forgive if I am prepared to be truly sorry, but I also know that it is a warning not to walk that same road again.
I'll never forget my two escapades with the 'gentlemen' but there's no record against me. How good to know that, even though I remember my failures, my heavenly Father has no longer any record of them happening. Grace indeed!
