Last night around 10.30 p.m. we received a call from Dad asking us to help him with a burst tyre. He was with Mom and they were both stuck on the highway. We took a drive and found them by the side of the road. Once we arrived, we found that the spare tyre kept in in Dad's car was burst as well. Strangely enough, Dad has just changed all tyres and they are brand new!
The only option is to use Mad Cat's spare tyre for the time being. While the two men tried to jack the car, a Metromac petrol man arrived and stopped by the side of the road to ask if we needed help. Without a minute wasted, I accepted his offer. But Dad, well Dad being Dad, gestured to the guy saying that they are doing fine.
With me standing by the side of the highway, being heavy, tired and sleepy, I got a bit annoyed and told Dad to allow the the guy to help. With that, the Metromac man went over to Dad's car and quickly took over the situation. Was I glad that he was there, it seems that Dad had placed the jack wrongly beneath the car. With one push, the car will just fall back on.
Swiftly, the Metromac guy managed to unscrew the burst tyre and replace it with Mad Cat's. Unfortunately it did not fit. Now wanting to leave the car on the highway, we were thinking a list of people who could have the same car as Dad and hoping that they will spare tyres in their trunk.
The Metromac guy, being an experince person on such situation (I would presumed to be so since he patrols the highway, he would have encountered such situations umpteen times) suggested that we should stop a cab which is a same car model as Dad's, and ask to borrow the spare tyre to allow Dad to drive home (since their home is not too far away) and upon returning home safely, Dad will return the tyre to the cab man with a fee, of course. Well, since Dad is driving a Proton, it should not be hard. We would not have thought about it and would just probably sleep by the highway till helps arrive in the morning.
The Metramac guy managed to hailed a cab and spoke to the cab man about the situation and arrangement. Thankfully the cab man was willing to do so. The spare tyre fitted perfectly and we were ready to roll home. Dad gave some money to the Metromac guy for helping them but he refuses to take it. But Dad insisted that he should.
Mad Cat and I then left for home while Dad led the way home with the cab trailing behind. Once Dad and Mom was safely home, Dad decided to return the tyre. But the cab man suggested that Dad should use his tyre until he gets it fixed at the workhop the next day and he (the cab man) will return the next afternoon to collect his tyre, since he knows where they live. And this is coming from a stranger! We have only asked to borrow a spare tyre but he offered a mile more!
Dad gave him some money as a token of appreciation and he too refuses to accept but Dad insisted.
When we stopped at the higway, I had merely prayed silently asking God to protect us, remembering one of our Methodist pastor who died while changing a flat by the highway. But God has done much more by sending help to us in the form of two Malay men. Samaritans come in different color, race, height and beliefs. And God knows best of what we need at the moment even when we do not know we need it.
Comments