Noooo! I had minutes to run my errands because the repair man was due at our house…sometime. Don’t you just hate those days where you are held hostage? The repair person will be there sometime between Nov. and 2016. Well, that’s how it feels anyway. I had about thirty minutes to get into town, complete my tasks, and get back home. It wasn’t looking good.
I kept my impatience in check, barely, as I drove into town. All the slow traffic had picked this day, this moment, to be in front of me. Whyyyyyyyyy? I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and tried deep breathing. Then it happened. My oil light flashed on the dashboard. It was a pretty orange color. I wondered if that meant it wasn’t quite as serious as red. Probably more serious than, say, a yellow light. It definitely wasn’t a friendly green. Dang it.
Instead of doing my planned errands I eased over to our local automotive repair shop, A & C. The guys have always been kind to us and I hoped today would be no exception. I took the steps up to their door two at a time and burst into the room.
“Well, I haven’t seen you in ages!” replied Phil, the front man.
“Yeah, well, unfortunately, I’m here now. My car’s check oil light came on, and it seems rather certain about it.”
Phil didn’t even hesitate. “Give me your keys.” He popped the hood and pulled the dip stick. (No not that dip stick. Try to keep it clean, okay?)
“Yep. You need oil.”
“But I’m not even due for an oil change for 2,000 more miles.”
Phil shrugged. “Wherever you had your last oil change performed must not have put in enough oil. Audi’s are not known for burning oil, so it must be that or a leak.”
Within moments, Andy, the owner, came out with a can of oil and put it in for me. He even got on his knees and checked beneath the car for an oil leak.
“I’m not seeing anything. Keep and eye on it, and we’ll make a note in the computer. It was good to see you.”
Just like that, without an appointment, they had me fixed up and on my way. It was so perfectly sweet that I thanked God for small towns and the good folks who live in them. I hurried home to be there for the repair man… who showed up three hours later. Geez.
How about you? Any stories about the kindness of small town folks?
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