Everything went perfectly... until I try to do something nice. The guys were not ready yet so I thought "ya know Victor did a nice thing by letting me take the car, I want to do something nice for him" so I filled the tank and then headed to Jumbo to buy food to make a great dinner for everyone once we finally got home. Wouldn't ya know... I'm sitting at a red light RIGHT IN FRONT of Jumbo and ... the car dies.
Okay I'm sure you're thinking "no problem, she gave it a minute and then it started again."
Oh no, I Wish I could tell you that is what happened. Picture this... I'm sitting there in the black mazda that has now decided to completely lock up on me to the point I can't get it in neutral in order to push it to the side so I'm trapped in the middle of the street with angry dominicans yelling at me in spanish (and I'm glad I couldn't understand them) and people going all around me. So what do I do? Well... first I panic, then I look over and I see a police officer so I try to get her attention. She's not looking at me so I get out of the car and wouldn't ya know as I'm yelling for her someone comes by and the next thing I know the door is shut. Once again... no problem, I'll just open the door...
"Oh, no."
"oh, no no NO!"
"Oh please oh please"
I'm locked out of a car that is not mine that has died in the middle of the street, the keys as well as my money and ID are now locked inside and I'm trying to explain all this to a dominican police officer who I still don't think understood me.
Okay... don't panic, this is not that bad.
"Are you KIDDING ME???" I scream, as rain begins to POUR down on me.
Ok, I've always said I believe God shows us how much he loves us through the rain... let me tell You, he was REALLY loving me in that moment as I was soaked within seconds.
So I'm thinking... this really can't get any worse, I'll just ask to use the police officer's phone (as I like an idiot did not think to bring Victor's cellphone with me).
"Por favor, yo puedo usar tu telefono?
"Lo siento... no es trabajando, no tengo minutos"
Police officer... carrying a dead phone... wonderful.
So at this moment... what else is there for me to do? I sit down on the sidewalk in the pouring rain and I pray... and then I pray again hoping for a miracle.
The nice lady police officer feeling sorry for me at this point gathers money from a stranger so I can use the public phone that's "easy to find"... across 4 lanes of traffic. So off I go praising God that I have money to call someone and I run in and out of cars all the way to the pay phone.
"Yay! I can call for help!"....
"Nooooo I don't remember Victor's number!!!"
"think... think... what number have I called recently that I can remember?"
..."Omar! help me! I can't come get you because I'm stuck in front of Jumbo. Necesito ayuda AHORA!!!!"
So now I praise God because I remembered a phone number and I'm praying that my one phone call got the message across and that help was on the way. So I return to the car and can't get over people's ignorance as they see the yield lights blinking and no one in the car but still decide to yell and honk their horns instead of going around the car.
One nice gentleman stops, asks if that is my car and he says "I go to find a mechanic" (in spanish of course). Praise be to God! The mechanic comes, I say, "Please I just need to get in the car," and I am very blessed because the man was speaking a little english. He told me not to worry that I'd be in the car in no time but that he would charge me.
As I watch him work in the rain Omar appears and we both stand there dripping wet and I have never been so happy to see a friendly face.
He asked me... "if this happened in the States, what would you do?"
I said... "first? I would call my dad! because I would have my phone with me!"
he said "No I mean would a person you don't know help you?"
I said, "sure, I made all kinds of new friends during the year I drove my Kia and had to push it Every single time it rained because the starter would go out." hehehe.
After about an hour now of standing in the rain the door to the car is opened (YAY!) and Omar and I try to get the gear un-stuck, he starts rolling and we push the car to the side of the street. By this time I have the mechanic and then another guy who actually got the door open. A third gentleman comes with a car so I can jump start it but we have no cables... Lucky for us I remembered that Victor had a secret compartment in the trunk with a bag in it... lo and behold Jumper cables! After about 20 more minutes the car finally decides to start. So now I learn an important lesson... No one stops to help you out of the goodness of their heart.
I have three dominican men arguing with Omar about me paying them a ridiculous amount of money... all because they see dollar signs when they see an American. I had already told the mechanic I would pay him for getting me into the car but I had not planned on two other men I didn't know because Omar and I were thinking, we'll push the car and call Rick and Suzanne to come jump the car, but these men never gave us a chance. SO as Omar argues that I only have a little money another man comes and he's trying to run off with my jumper cables!
After 600 pesos (they were wanting 2000 pesos EACH (close to 100 bucks each for getting my car jumped), three very not happy dominicans, and one almost thief, Omar and I drive off to head home. ... "What a day Omar, I never thought it was going to be that difficult."
(phone rings)... "Uh Tiff, that's Victor, he's very upset and worried."
I of course have been thinking the whole time "victor's gonna kill me"... We went home and I explained everything to Victor and he says... "I so sorry for you." and then he starts laughing!
I ask why and he says let me show you something...
First, I learn that Victor has other keys to the car... had I been able to think of his number... problem solved. Secondly...
We go out to the car and there was a button that I had apparently hit with my knee that caused the car to die... all I had to do was hit it again and the car would start... but of course I did not know this.
So Victor says "I'm sorry for you, first time you take my car, ... you had a very bad day, next time you have cell phone, ...and my number." lol.
What an amazing host I have, he wasn't angry as I thought he would be, he was just sad that I had to waste money to get the car working again when all along he had what I needed to solve the problem.
So many lessons learned to day.
1. God loves me bunches and bunches
2. Always carry a cell phone and know your host family's phone #
3. why waste time and effort trying to solve your own problems when HE the Almighty one already has what you need to solve them?
Just as I did with the car, trying to do things on my own, so it is in life sometimes... I need to focus on God to take care of things, not try to do everything on my own because He already has all the tools, I just need to simply ask.
I hope you all found a bit of humor in all this as I'm sure I will tomorrow after a good nights sleep... God is good and I thank Him that I'm safe and sound back at home.
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