Lady In Waiting

Alternate title:  'It Could Have Been Worse.'

It was a beautiful day.  Michael, anticipating all those wonderful piddle spots in town, was eager to "Load up!"  I even got an early start, wow.  Down at the big road, a neighbor was about to take his trash across and I stopped to say hi.  I had a little trouble getting the passenger window to roll down...that was strange.  Conversation over, we went on our ways.  That's when Truck began to misbehave, with brief surges and then hesitation, not like good Old Reliable at all.  Coming to the Fair Play corner, I decided I'd best head toward the auto shop in Mt. Aukum instead of town, and headed in that direction.  Yeah, well.  I didn't get far.  Just after rounding the worst blind curve on that road, Truck died.  Died deader than a doornail.  I was terrified.  The first of yesterday's guardian angels, a young man working on a nearby house, appeared out of nowhere.  "Honk your horn!  Traffic is coming!"  Truck didn't have a beep left in him.  Aarrgh!  This gentleman pushed Truck over to the side of the road, not an easy task with no power steering, but he got it done, bless him, and while stuck, we were safe.  Then the second miracle, I had cellphone service, always iffy in these hills!

Still shaking badly and near tears, I called AAA.  "What city are you in?"  "There is no city."  "Ma'am, I need to know what city you're in."  "Listen carefully, there is NO city!  Mt. Aukum is a feed store and an auto shop.  Fair Play is a pub and a winery.  Somerset is a little store, the post office, and a defunct cafe.  I'm miles from all three...there is NO CITY!"  Ms. Helpful finally picked Somerset.  "I'm alone and I have my dog with me.  I'll need a ride."  "Ma'am, due to Covid, no passengers are allowed to ride in the tow trucks."  "What are you going to do with me?  I'm 80 years old and I have my dog.  Are you just going to leave us on the side of the road?  I have a mask!"  "Let me see if I can find a company that will allow you to ride along."  Long minutes later, she called me back, having found a company down below Amador that would accept a passenger, but it would be another couple of hours before they could get to me.  Turned out to be over three.  I took Michael on several walks, poor thing.  If I couldn't understand what was happening, he was really confused.

When the second angel finally appeared, he said, "Boy, you're really in a bad spot," like I didn't know that.  He figured out the logistics of getting Truck up on his slide bed, but it would take up all of the narrow road to do so.  When he'd decided how to get it done, I went to the curve to wave down traffic, and there was a line of cars going home by the time Truck was loaded.  Those people were not happy.  You'd laugh to see me struggling to climb up into his enormous vehicle and he had to lift Michael in, but we were safe.  We got to the auto shop within minutes of closing.  Whew!  Truck was safe.  Michael and I were safe, and Scott had his helper, the third angel of the day, drive us home.

It's not a day I'd want to repeat.  However, it could have been worse.  We weren't smashed into on that blind curve.  Angels appeared as needed.  The shop was still open.  We got home safe and sound.  Yep, given the circumstances it was, if not a good day, over at last.  It only took four hours.

Stay safe.  Be well.