In 1999, my mother and father were on a trip from Oklahoma to visit us in California. Along the way they pulled over to change drivers.
My mother called me, and told me that he had a heart attack and died along the road side in Albuquerque.
My brother and sisters picked me up after I finished working all night in Sacramento. We travelled East in three cars.
I remember getting to Albuquerque in the morning, I had just woke up and was ready to take my turn driving.
I looked around thinking this was the place my mother said my father died.
Our three cars continued East, as we were all chattering back and forth on the two way radios.
Occasionally we would stop for gas or a snack.
We were cruising along at 70 mph per hour as we approached Amarillo, Texas. I was driving the last car, when at speed the engine just stopped. I repeatedly tried to call on the radio, but couldn't get through the chatter. The other vehicles were soon out of range of the radio as I coasted off the freeway and into a Love's Gas Station at Exit 40.
After some time the other two cars doubled back and found me, so six of us were together at the station.
My brother and I looked at the engine, there was nothing obviously wrong. We had gas, oil, and the car was a fairly new car.
After some time we were able to restart, after doing little more than inspecting the engine.
We continued our trip to Allen, Oklahoma, arriving that evening. We apologized to my mom for being later than expected and told her of our break down at Exit 40 in Amarillo.
She told us "That's where your father died."
"What? I thought you said Albuquerque?"
She said " I may have, when I called you I was kind of out of it"
I look back now at this and think, ghosts? Coincidence? Out of all the exits between Sacramento, California and Allen Oklahoma, why this one. The only trouble going there and back. The event brought most of my brother and sisters to the very spot where my father died.
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
Loading comments....
A little late to the party, but your experience has relevance to my father's passing, so I thought I'd drop you a line.
From what you have stated, I believe the odds are very good that you, your brother and sisters were destined to spend some time where your father died.
Just goes to show that encounters with passed loved ones do not have to be "spooky" or "scary" and, in fact, can be beneficial.
My father died of a heart attack while warming the car up (something that had to be done in the 1970's), in preparation for our return trip home, from holidays.
A few years later, I believe that he may have helped me safely navigate through an incident with a broken windscreen on the same stretch of highway that he was about to drive home on before his heart attack.
Even though you guys were unaware of the significance of Exit 40, I'm sure that was his chance to say farewell.
Rex-T