Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Suckiest Christmas Ever

The Irish have “the troubles”. In our family, we have “the bad times.” There were a few years, ok, more than a few when all was not goodness and light.


One of those years, my oldest daughter was at boarding school and my youngest daughter was living with her grandparents in a different state. I took time off of work to drive to my ex-in-laws to deliver Twidge’s Christmas presents.


About 2 hours from home, on the lovely drive (it really was) through the snow-covered mountains, I noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment of my car. I pulled over, popped the hood, and voila! My car was on fire.


A very nice trucker (at great personal risk) stopped his rig, hopped out with his fire extinguisher, and tried to put out the flames. The police came, the fire department came, a lot of lookie-loos came and, when it was over, my car was totaled, the gifts were burned, and I was in shock.


The very nice (I am surrounded, at all times, by very nice people. I think it’s part of that whole “God protects fools and drunks” thing) highway patrolman did tell me to not just use the on-call tow service since then my car would be there - 2 hours from home. He suggested that I call my local tow service. It would be a longer wait but at least the car - or should I say car-cass - would end up at home. I took his suggestion and he stayed with me as long as he could, but he got another call.


So, there I was. December, lovely snow-covered mountain road, smelly hulk of a burned-out car, sitting on the side of the road waiting on a tow truck. To say that I was feeling sorry for myself, and for the Twidge, who was waiting for me without any way of knowing what had happened, is putting it mildly. I was sitting there, just sitting there when, apparently out of nowhere, a very nice man appeared. He had walked up from his residence down the side of the mountain to bring me a cup of coffee and to make sure that I was all right. Angels among us.


The tow truck arrived and they had a cell phone - this was back in the day, y’all. Cell phones were a rarity and generally possessed only by those people who needed them for their jobs. Mort, the tow truck driver, asked if I wanted to call my husband. I did. I called and told my sweetie that there had been a problem with the car. Yes, I am the Queen of Understatement. His response? “What did you do to it this time?”


Not our most pleasant holiday, trust me.

11 comments:

laurie said...

oh, wow, sandy. it goes without saying that i'm glad you weren't hurt. but man. everything burned? you left alone on the side of a mountain?

wow.

thank goodness for the kind man with the coffee. small acts aren't small to those who need them.

Anonymous said...

Oh man - that WAS a horrible Christmas. I think there was a lot more worrying back in the day before cell phones! (by the people waiting for their loved ones to come home).

I'm glad you weren't hurt!

Dreaming What Ifs...

Beckie said...

Christmases like that make the good ones seem all that much more special.

Unknown said...

Oh, my goodness. What a lousy year. But, I agree. Angels are always among us.

kitten said...

OMGees! At least you were took care of through that horrible time.
I do believe in Angles and you just confirmed! Bless your heart. I hope you have a wonderful and joyus Christmas this year!

Unknown said...

That is a horrible tragedy. :( I'm sure Twidge remembers that year too. You had bad luck but also good luck, I like the "prtotecting fools and drunks" :)

Anonymous said...

It may have been a not-so-great Christmas, but how fortunate you were to have people helping you and even bringing you coffee!!

Anonymous said...

Wow, a great story. There are some wonderful helpful people out there. I love the line about the car-cass.

Junebug said...

Oh, just read your story. What a time, glad that is a Christmas past. Yes, I believe in angels unaware and also the angel-like frailties called humans. We are His hands and you got visited by some good ones.

Debs said...

OH MY!!!

Angels are among us. :D

Robinella said...

Wow! Glad you were okay, and what a story!

 
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