My husband answered his cell phone and I hysterically told him what happened. “Again,” he asked? I couldn’t believe it myself. He wanted to come get me, though he was at least 45 minutes away. Did I mention my AC wasn’t working? I was hot. Sweat, snot and tears mingled on my face but I had no intention of leaving the sanctity of my vehicle. I told him I had to wait to give a statement to the police, and would be home after.

Then I called the counselor I’d left a message for the day before. Again, no answer. I left another message; a more frantic one, that there had been an attempted robbery and to please call me as soon as possible.

A woman walked by my car, saw that I was upset; saw the cop cars. She asked me what happened and, though shaking and sobbing, I told her. Another customer pulled up next to my car and started talking to the first lady. I was babbling. I was still in shock, I think. I was filled with fear and anxiety.

They ended up staying with me for a while until my manager showed up. Being a Saturday (and her birthday) she wasn’t due in, so she’d been called. She joked, “what a way to get me to come to work on my birthday” and made light of the situation. It did help to calm me a bit. I told her I wasn’t going back into the bank and she said she’d see if an officer would come out to me to get my statement.

A few minutes later an officer came out and asked if I’d like to sit in his air-conditioned SUV while he asked me questions about the incident. I was still shaking, and intermittently crying. Kept getting details mixed up from both robberies. I was crumbling inside. What was happening to me? I just couldn’t seem to be normal. I gave my statement the best I could and left that bank parking lot for what would end up being quite a long time.

 (to be continued)