45 minutes away from brother's house and I am sitting in the driver's sit of 1988 buick. I see the toll both ahead and come to stop right behind another crappy car. As the car moves on their journey I press on the gas only to find that the car stalled. Ok ok I can do this just turn the car back on and everything will be fine. I reach for the keys as I am telling my friends that the car isn't moving. It turns on! So I press the gas...useless. The car will not go into gear. I am ten feet away from the toll booth when I lady pulls up right beside me and says "You know there is only one lane here." I look at her with a smirk and tell her, well lady my car isn't working. As we struggle in deciding what to do the owner of the car, Amanda, takes wheel, thinking that she can do something about it. Of course nothing works. With our struggling faces on, a man that works in the booth comes over and starts to push us to the shoulder. First of the man has the most crazy ways of telling Amanda which way to go. His hands are flying and everywhere and in the chaos amanda backs into the concrete wall. The guy comes over to our window and with chaos and all he begins to tell us to get out and go inside the little tollbooth building. We get in and he tells us he called a toe truck but the cost will be 150 dollars plus 3 dollars a mile. I cannot begin to describe what was going in my head. My brother had to wake up at 4:30am for work and it was 11:30 at night. so I called him and gave him the news. After that a patrol officer came in saying we had 2 hours to get the car off the road while the toe truck driver tells us to call someone else who is cheaper. Meanwhile we have no idea what is actually wrong with the car and no one will help us get the hood up. The useless help leave to leave us with the problem and as they do I look behind me to see a flyer on the wall...WANTED HOMICIDE. Wow in the middle of nowhere and there is a killer on the loose. Amanda and my friend Christine go back to the car to pop the hood...the car oil is dry as a bone. Finally my brother comes to get us and we decide that we are going to push the car through the toll and to the parking lot. But before we do the toll booth guy tells us that we have to pay the toll as well. Alright so we get change out and try to push....the car is stuck in a little trench. Great well then we called a toe truck for 80 dollars. We get home at 4 in the morning. I wake up an hour later to drop of Christine at the train station since her other train leaves at 7 in chicago....
The next day Amanda, Daniela, and I try to figure out how the heck we are going to get home when I find our that my friend's mom is in the hospital with something very serious. We figured out our plans and also decide to take a train into chicago the next day for a day of shopping. We get a ride to the station and realize we forgot to get tickets online....luckily we can buy them on the train. We to chicago...next thing to do is to buy tickets for the way back...of course the ticket booth is closed for 15 minutes. Everything is great but oh did I mention that Daniela left her wallet in Christine's purse but christine is in Missouri. The day is almost over and we decide to walk back to the train station because none of us have any cash left. We are 15 minutes late to the train. The next one leaves in a half hour.....We finally get on and get to our stop. As we come to the door the door shuts and the train moves on to the next station.......
My brother picks us up in another city.....
Although the week was certainly from hell and every day was filled with a bit of excitement, I learned some good lessons.
1. never drive a car that is older than you on a three hour drive
2. be 15 minutes early to any public transportation
3. when the conductor says your stop is approaching get up and go to the door
4. when the weather channel says its 14 degrees but feels like -1, they are telling the truth
5. family is amazing
6. once your in college, you are bad luck
7. praying is the best thing to do
No comments:
Post a Comment