Dragon Eyez Bahamas Blog

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Friday, November 02, 2007

Good Samaritan: Part 2: "Bush Push"

As I approached the second to last turn I would have to make before entering my community I saw an old dented car on the road between the left and right turning lane. The driver had opened his door as I passed him and turned left.

I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the man who had gotten out of his car, walk to the front of his vehicle and open the hood. White smoke spied out and surrounded the man in a cloak of vapour. I was sure it was radiator trouble.

A convince store lay a little ahead and I was able to get off the road as a speedster in a large white Ford F-250 truck zoomed by. I turned around to go help the stranger, just like a stranger helped me earlier. Lord knows I've been in those circumstances many times myself.

I neared the wreckage and asked the man "Radiator trouble?" to which he replied, "Yea. She crack." He was a Haitian man of about 50 or so years and he spoke English well enough for the average Bahamian to understand easily.

"Would you like some help?" I continued, "I can help you. What do you want to do? Do you have any Coolant? Any water? A container?"

He stammered as he spoke, "No fluids. Water? Push car and let cool."

"I don't have coolant but I can get water. You want that? Cool down radiator. "

"No. Just push car and wait for engine to cool."

"I can help you move the car" I stated. As I started to move to find a parking space he nodded, confirming acceptance of my help. I found one, turned off my car and got out, walked towards him and asked "Where do you want it?"

He rose his right hand and pointed to the clearing off the road directly behind his car. "There, push car."

I placed my hands on the hood of his car and pushed like a sumo wrestler would while he steered from the driver's side of the car. In a matter of about 30 seconds the car was off the road and out of the motorists way.

"What are you going to do?" I inquired.

"Let cool. Too hot. Cool down, then I drive."

"You can only go so far before she heats up again. You need to get that fixed. I recently had radiator trouble too and took my car to Toms Radiator. You know Toms? On Wulff Road?"

"Yea, yea Toms. I know Toms"

"I'd go there" I continued. "They can fix it good.
Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No. Just wait 'till car cool. Thank you."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

I started to move to go to my car when I heard the Haitian add, "God bless you."

I replied, "Thank you. Hope all goes well. Take care. Bye." I got back in my car, waved goodbye and continued the rest of my way home.

Just as I was helped, I help another. It made me feel really good to help someone I didn't know, someone I'll probably never see again. It felt good to pass on the "doing-good-to-others" feeling. Why don't you be a good Samaritan for someone today? Help spread being human, and be a good Samaritan.

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Good Samaritan: Part 1: "Tire Hire"

When work was over I had nothing planned straight away; nothing except getting home and relaxing for a bit before the evening began.

It was a normal drive in the afternoon traffic as I headed towards the gas station I frequent. I pulled up to a pump to top off the fuel tank in my metal chariot.

Another car pulled up to a pump two over from me and started shouting things. I ignored the shouting at first since I didn't even think that they would be trying to get my attention. They persisted.

As I put down the windows on my side to speak with a pump attendant, I turned my head to the right; the direction of the hollers, and tried to communicate with the driver and his front seat passenger. I thought he was informing me that my back right tire needed some air so I really wasn't too into them. The passenger got out of the car and my eyes went to him. He spoke and I was now able to understand what they had been trying to tell me.

"You only have one nut!"

"What?" I questioned myself, "What did he mean?"

The driver and passenger were both pointing at the tire as I got out of the car to inspect the situation. When I examined my tire I noticed that the men were absolutely correct. All but one nut were missing.

"You got a wrench?" inquired the passenger.
"Yeah" I shouted back, "It's in my trunk somewhere."

I moved to the back of my car, opened the trunk and started my search. It was a little bit of a mess back there since I had not put the things that I stored in there back in their rightful places.

"You got a wrench?" came the question again. I just managed to put my hands on it then, stood up right and as soon as I did the passenger grabbed it, slid it out of my right hand, and went to work on my front right tire. Without a thought this gentleman in dark blue overalls started gathering nuts from two of my other tires.

I thought that it would be a good idea to Jack up my car so that the tire would be straight on the tire rods once the nuts were added, so I grabbed my Jack from the trunk and lifted my car a few inches.

"You lucky" the helpful and kind man said as he did his work. "Man you could have been dead. All you need is to be going 40 [miles per hour] on a corner and your car could have flipped over if the tire came off. You lucky! Man, you lucky!"

"I know" I replied, "Real lucky. Thank you for telling me. Thank you so much. I heard a knocking noise back there and wondered what it was. Thank you again."

I put the Car Jack back in the trunk and organized it as I went along. I was thinking of offering the good Samaritan's some money for their kindness, but when I closed my trunk they were gone; another car occupied the space they had been in.

I got in my car with a thankful smile on my face and continued my trek home.

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