So I had all these things I was going to do today, and one was a trek to the outlets in Gilroy an hour+ away to look for warmer clothes for the daughter about to need them. On a whim, I threw a small knitting project in my purse, feeling a little silly but you never know. On another whim, I said I’d drive and Michelle went, Oh! I thought I was going to. Sure, and how about I do it on the way back?
Sure!
Which is why a more experienced driver was at the wheel and the other driver got to learn new things without having to make any decisions in the moment.
Heavy traffic, lots of braking ahead, I was slowing down–when suddenly the brakes felt dead. Boom just like that. My car is old but well maintained but oh well. I was sure I was going to slam into the guy up there ahead of me, but no, the brakes actually worked even if they didn’t feel like it while I was pushing as hard as I could. Thank heavens!
I was in the next-to-left lane and there was an exit just ahead. I managed to get over several lanes and the traffic just opened up for me when I turned on my signal, how in that mess, I don’t know, thank you everybody and somehow it worked without all the things that could have happened happening.
Off. I got far enough down the ramp to where there was, for whatever reason, a stretch of suddenly cleared-off pavement in the margin, not much longer than one car’s length. I took it.  Before and after that point, the breakdown lane was all covered in dry tinderbrush that believe me you do not want to touch with a hot car in a California summer.
And that’s when I saw the smoke. Just a little, then pouring out from under the hood on the right. Please don’t blow up on us. Just please don’t blow up on us. (I flashbacked: I once saw a car with its engine on fire shooting massive flames fifteen feet high and it was three blocks from my house: the driver had pulled over right under a very dried-out olive tree. In front of a gas station. I thought, flashback, you are not helping me here. Shut up. It shut up.)
Meantime, behind us, people were speeding and cutting over the line on the offramp, seeing us and veering back into their lane and I was glad for every inch away from them we had–and very glad to be off that freeway!
Where, while we waited for the tow, grateful for cellphones, we saw a fire truck and then an ambulance making their way forward as the traffic started to back up past that point. Someone was having a way worse day than we were. Gratitude check there.
AAA towed us to the nearest AAA-approved garage. While I gave the owner our contact information, the tow driver quietly said to Michelle, This is NOT a good end of town. Would you like me to drop you two off at Denny’s to wait for your ride home?
I almost hugged the guy. I did hug Richard later.
A shout out to KatherineL, who offered to rescue us when we couldn’t reach Richard at first. Thank you *so* much.
Coming home, trying not to feel weird about leaving my car to an unknown fate in the hands of strangers, Richard had a doctor’s appointment he was only going to make to on time now if he could go in the carpool lane. We swung by home, let Michelle mercifully out, and I went with him. He told me I didn’t have to, he could risk it if I wanted to get out too; I told him, You rescued me; I rescue you. It’s only fair.
And I was so glad I had that little knitting project. My coming grandson’s little hat finally got all but the decreasing done while I waited. I think I really needed that.
And yet–Michelle and I were talking afterwards and we were both saying, You know? For all that that could have been, that was as pleasant as it could possibly have been under the circumstances. The tow truck driver was a sweetheart, the garage owner seemed a decent type, KatherineL was ready to run right there, Richard enjoyed the pumpkin pie piece I bought him to go while waiting at Denny’s. It could all have been so much worse. We got off easy, we really did.
At least someone’s going to be warmer because of that trip!