Borrowed Breath

Yesterday, Michelle and I exchanged cars because our very friendly next-door neighbor was going to do some work on Michelle’s brakes.  So he and I tinkered around his garage and did the repairs while Michelle worked at the REST Ministries thrift store.  Michelle and I had plans for the afternoon and evening, so I hopped in the shower while she was on her way home from work.  As I was finishing up, I heard our phone ringing persistently.  Someone was calling, and as soon as our answering machine was picking up, they were calling again.  So I dashed downstairs and picked up the phone.  It was Michelle, my damsel in distress.  My truck had a flat tire on route 30.  She asked if we should call AAA to tow it, to which I scornfully replied, “It’s only a flat tire.  I’ll be right out.”

So I hopped into her car and drove out to meet her.  My truck is a Ford Ranger, and the spare tire is up under the truck just behind the rear axle.  There is a rod that you stick into a hole just above the license plate and turn counter-clockwise to lower the spare tire.  But there is a lock covering said hole to keep those nasty neighborhood spare tire stealers from making off with your “Do not exceed 50 mph” spare tire, as they are wont to do in our neck of the woods.  There was a key in the glove compartment of the truck.  “Did the key actually open the lock?” you ask.  Funny you should ask.  No, the key did not open the lock.  I tried everything, jiggling, flipping it over, partial insert, full insert, all to no avail.  My normal calm, cool, and collected facade was gone.  I think the wind from one of the 60-mph-passing-cars-who-refused-to-get-over-into-the-left-hand-lane-even-though-it-was-wide-open blew it off.  So Michelle, convinced that the only reason that the key wouldn’t work was because I’m a man, tried it.  It didn’t work for her either.  I sprayed some WD-40 into the lock, even though it didn’t look rusty.  And I tried again.  Just when I thought my annoyance level was maxed out, the key broke in the lock.  I think I said, “Argggghhhhhhh!”

So we called AAA for a tow.  Now I know AAA is not known for their quick service, where as you’re hanging up the phone, the tow-truck driver is knocking on your driver side window.  But yesterday’s service (if we use that word loosely) was borderline pitiful.  We were first promised a pick-up by 4:37.  Then they called and said it would be 4:55.  (Michelle has been stuck here since 2:30…I arrived at around 2:45.)  4:55 came.  4:55 went.  Still no driver.  So I called.  His new estimated time of arrival was 5:55.  I asked the woman when we were going to be called and alerted that the 4:55 time was no good.  She transferred me to her supervisor who allowed me to vent some of my frustration out on her.  She said the tow-truck driver would call us when he was 10 minutes away.  She assured me that he was on schedule to pick us up by 5:55.

So we drove home for a respite, since we now had some time.  Michelle made some strawberry smoothies to cool us down.  It helped cool down our body temperature and our approaching-boiling-point-frustration-level.

We drove out again to the poor stranded Ranger so we would be there at 5:55 since we live more than 10 minutes from the scene.  ”Did the tow truck driver arrive at the promised time?” you ask.  I’m glad you did.  No, the tow truck driver did not meet the deadline.  At around 6:15, we called AAA again.  This time we were told he would arrive by 6:27.  I explained to a different girl (we did not speak to the same person any of the times we called) that we would have appreciated a call stating they would not make the 5:55 ETA.  She apologized.  I accepted her apology.

At a little after 6:30, the tow-truck driver arrived.  He loaded up my three-legged mule and dropped it off at our place where my neighbor and I plugged the hole.  I prayed it would hold.  As of late last night, it still was holding air.  I haven’t checked it yet today.

Michelle and I spent the night at home.  Our plans for the afternoon and evening did not happen.  But we had a delicious meal provided by the lovely Michelle.  We sat on a comfy couch and watched a movie.  It rained outside and our roof kept the rain off of us.  We both got warm showers.  We played Skip-Bo.  We went to bed in our air-conditioned bedroom. 

We are so rich.  We have a deep, deep love for each other.  We have beautiful families that love us dearly.  We have food in the cupboard and fridge.  We have so much.  We have a relationship with our Redeemer, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  We are so blessed.  Sometimes I just need to be reminded.