Saturday, January 9, 2010

Steamy

We were just on our way back from sledging and Sarah said is the engine meant to steam like that? I look down and see that the temperature gauge is pointing at the red.

I quickly pull over to a petrol station that we luckily happen to be next to at the time. I lift the bonnet (hood) of the car and as soon as I manage to prop it up, a couple in a car pull over. A guy “Terrence” opens the passenger side window and asks if I need any help. “erm, yes please” I say knowing that I have only looked at the engine twice before, and one of those was to look at it in an all knowing “stroky beard” type way to show Sarah that the car had an engine when I first bought it. Truthfully I didn’t know where to begin.

Terrence (my guardian angel) got out of the passengers side holding two containers of engine coolant saying “Looks like you need some radiator coolant”.

I couldn’t help but think, how many people travel around with engine coolant containers (yes plural… “Containers”) in the passenger foot well, looking for steaming engines.

“Yep, it looks like the engine has run dry. Pour this in there and a little more in here, until it gets to the max line.”

Glug Glug Glug…

After emptying the two containers he had into the engine he said, “We needs some more, do you know what kind to get?”

“Erm”

“Let me go ahead and show you… This is 50/50 and will freeze in this kind of weather, but this one is a little money but its good for this time of year… Have you got some money? Here let me pay for this…” says Terrence putting his hand in his pocket.

“No Terrence, I will pay for this, you are being generous enough” I say firmly.

“OK, you enter your PIN and I’ll go ahead and put this in the engine.”

Cut to 10 minutes later and I have bought another bottle of coolant (so I have spare) and a bottle of oils that Terrence has checked and suggested I top up. He wouldn’t let me buy him replacements for the ones of his he used.

“OK, I think you are good to go. Drive safe now!” he says with a firm handshake.

“You sir are a gentleman and a saint. Thank you so much” I say in a truly grateful tone.

“Not at all, I’m just glad I could be of help”

And with that, he was gone. It really makes me question the type of person I am and the way I would go about helping someone out. I am sure if someone was in a spot and asked me for help, I would help them, but here it seems people are actively looking for good deeds to do.

As I write this I can’t help but think back to the homeless people under the bridge on the way to work and the men I have seen standing at the traffic light on freeways holding signs saying “I want to get back on my feet, looking for work, any help will be appreciated, god bless”.

I would love to help them and I would certainly pay them for any work they would do for me. The truth is, what work could I give them? I certainly don’t want to be just giving them cash, but this guy has been out here, standing on that spot, holding that sign in -4C for the last 3 hours.

It plays on my conscience.

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