Le Car
For many years I joked about the Renault Le Car I owned. I had nicked named my possession “Le Junk”, after purchasing it from a used car dealership. I was nineteen and yes, they saw me coming. I was told it was a four-speed stick shift, and I believe that it should have been a three-speed because you had to skip third gear most of the time and put it directly into fourth from second. If my memory serves me correctly it had overdrive after fourth gear.
It wasn`t my first manually driven vehicle. My first car, a Toyota wagon stick cost me $75.00, when I was seventeen. None the less, I needed a vehicle I could afford, and Le Junk was just that.
A purchase with my income tax return because I had been without a vehicle since the dissolution of my first marriage. It got me to and from work and it was fully mine.
I had made the life altering choice in 1988, to move from NY to Ma to stay with my oldest brother and his family for a bit. I already had a job waiting for me and my sister-in-law would care for my daughter, who was three at the time.
After giving a two week notice to my employer, (employed for 3 yrs.) I packed everything I owned into that small red hatch back. There was just enough room for my daughter`s car seat carefully placed in the middle of the back seat surrounded by arranged boxes of our life`s possessions. There wasn`t a space left that didn`t have something in it.
I pre-arranged to leave early Saturday morning that summer day. I had worked my last day at the laundry the day before and would need to start my new job in Ma, the following Monday morning. It would be about a seven-and-a-half-hour trip, give or take to reach our destination. Carefully I had my route mapped out and to help my three-year-old deal with such a long car ride I left around 3 am. She could sleep at least half the ride before waking.
Carefully I loaded my daughter into her car seat buckled her in and covered her with a throw blanket. I took one last look at the trailer I had lived as I backed from the driveway. Off I went, with not a care in the world.
It would take me almost two hours before I left the state of NY and entered the interstate in Vermont. It didn`t bother me to drive in the dark to that point because I knew my way. Having been either a passenger or driver on past trips to my future destination, I felt pretty confident. The forecast was clear, and I could make good time as there was little to no traffic to contend with.
There I was, a young single mother adventuring into the world to rebuild her life. To seek out the unknown and the possible that life had to offer. Little did I know life had some lessons and I had begun my schooling.
The sun had barely risen and the fog still misty on the interstate before me. The dawn of a new day and I was eager to get to our new temporary home. I still had at least four hours to go. My daughter had opened her eyes and inquired that infamous- “Are we there yet”- that every parent hears when traveling with children.
Then all of a sudden,
BOOM💥 Thumpity-thump-screech-thump-thumpity-scrapping-grinding-thump!
The driver side front tire blew, and I clung to the wheel with all my might. I was on a downhill decent in the Green Mountains of Vermont going 70mph on the interstate!
I pushed in the clutch and placed the car in neutral and began pumping the brakes. The car moved toward the shoulder until it came to rest at the base of the hill. I don`t know how I knew what to do but was thankful I kept myself together and the car under control. Easily I could have caused the car to flip or roll, especially as fast as I was going.
“Oh shit”, (more likely another four-letter expletive) I said aloud. I`ve never changed a tire, n e v e r! “Well maybe that can of Fix a Flat will do”, I said to myself as I reached for a flannel shirt to cover the halter top, I was wearing.
I shifted the car in reverse and placed the emergency brake on. There wasn`t the tension in the handle I expected, and it made me uncomfortable about leaving my daughter in the car.
What if it began to roll with her inside? I thought.
With that image in my mind, I proceeded to remove her from the car. I set her in her child sized lawn chair by the outer edge of the breakdown lane where there was some grass, yet where I could see her from the front of the car. Covering her with a blanket I informed her to stay put while mommy fixes the car.
Once I had my child out of harm’s way (in my mind) I proceeded to realize Fix a Flat wasn`t going to cut it. That tire was in shreds and with examining the others I began to learn my first lesson. There were wires protruding from the tread on all the tires. Why hadn`t I had a mechanic look the car over? Where do I find the jack? Where do I place it once I find it? Question after question raced through my mind in seconds.
Smiling at my daughter bravely (pathetically actually) signaling to her that mommy knew what she was doing and was going to magically fix our situation. I then opened the hatch and shifted some boxes before spotting the jack. The spare tire would be found under the chassis. I shut the hatch and proceeded to the front of Le Junk and placed the jack where I thought it should go. Within a few cranks down the jack slipped and broke, along with any confidence I had mustard. Tears stung my eyes as my head leaned against the fender.
“Dear God, please…please send somebody nice to help us.” I instantly prayed.
I was terrified at the position I found myself in and I had my daughter with me to boot. It wasn`t but a minute or two I swear, before this blue pickup with a cap on the back slowed and pulled off, onto the shoulder and stopped ten to fifteen feet ahead. I swallowed hard and placed myself in front of my child.
When the door of the truck opened my eyes darted to the movement on the passenger side of the truck. Out popped a grey-haired lady, her hands toward her face.
“We weren`t going to stop, but we saw the child,” she exclaimed walking toward us.
Her husband a tall slender man equally greying had a warm smile. I on the other hand, allowed the tears to flow in relief as I began explaining what happened.
“You know none of these tires are very good”, he pointed out. “Not even the spare, and it`s flat too.” he stated in disbelief.
As the older man and I changed the tire and filled my flat spare with the can of Fix a Flat, the woman occupied and kept vigil over my daughter. To me they seemed to glow, and I did not fear them. When the task was completed, I offered the gentleman a twenty I had readily available for gas. He refused and gave me strict instructions.
“You get off at the very next exit. It`s about 25 miles up yonder. There you will find a gas station directly off the exit (naming the national gas chain). You put air in that tire, make sure it`s (however much PSI) ok. Then there`s a pay phone, somebody expecting you?” he inquired. “I suppose with a young one and all. Call them and get those tires, all those tires changed, you hear.”
I nodded and thanked them and gratefully said “Yes sir, it will be the first thing I do!” and I meant every word of that statement.
He let me go in front of them and I`m not sure if they stayed behind me, they must have because I followed his instructions to the T. I got off at the very next exit, but I didn’t see them behind me. I prayed prayers of gratitude and thankfulness all the way to that exit. I was humbled and blessed.
I made it to my destination a day late. I detoured to NH where my boyfriend (second husband to be) lived. I had called him from the pay phone and told him what happened. He had me stop at his place for the night and paid for two new tires. Then on Sunday I finished my journey and arrived at my brothers. I replaced the remaining tires and found a decent spare.
From that day forward, to this very day, I do not travel long distances without knowing my car has been checked over for safety. Even after keeping up on a regular maintenance schedule. I pray before leaving the driveway a prayer, my girls refer to it as the “travel prayer”. We ask for God guidance and protection as we travel. It has been done on both ends of any trip we have taken.
I wonder now that they are grown if they still say a quiet prayer when traveling? Momma still does. Sometimes throughout the whole trip not just at the beginning and the return. 😜💕
I felt that I was blessed with earthly angels that morning. Maybe some will say a coincidence in time and place. Maybe, but that couple was a prayer answered in real time. One in which, I am eternally grateful. 💕
✨Be the Light