Some Days are Better Than Others

My mother imparted this bit of wisdom to me in my youth. I went to work at U-Haul and after that I left for Biloxi. I got as far as Slidell when one of the belts on my truck broke. I heard a squeal and a loud racket, causing me to ease off the gas peddle. After a second of coasting, all seemed well; so I again applied the gas. I could tell that something was not right but I tried to coax it down the road, vainly hoping that it was nothing serious. A quick glance in the rear view mirror dispelled that notion however as I saw clouds of smoke trailing behind me. I pulled over a popped the hood and discovered the remains of the belt tangled in the fan with yet another belt dangling from another pulley down below.

After taking a moment to regroup I began making phone calls. I called a friend to let her know I wouldn't be coming today and my sister who was planning to meet me. I after that I called a friend for help. Very soon help was on the way in the form of her father, a wonderful man who is also knowledgeable in all manner of car related troubles. He arrived quickly because he was already in the area but he was wearing what he called his sissy clothes; meaning that he could not crawl under the truck and do the work himself. But with his help, I was able to remove the belts in short order. Soon we were on the way to a nearby auto parts store where I bought the appropriate parts and a small set of inexpensive socket wrenches. In next to no time we were back at my truck, racing to finish the job before night fell.

I quickly wriggled up under my truck and reached out for the tools that B placed in my hands. A stick was gouging me in the back but I ignored the discomfort and kept on working. Following his directions, I began to loosen bolts. The work was hard because I didn't really know what I was doing and B was pointing to bolts from above while I was working from below. At the last we discovered that the set of socket wrenches lacked one size and I could go no further. I wriggled out from beneath my truck in defeat, somehow managing to skin my nose on the engine as I emerged. The annoying stick followed me all the way out. When I was finally free, I just sat on the ground with my back against the tire, considering my options. I had just become aware that the stick was now gouging me in the seat when B walked around the front of the truck and said, "Is that a dead animal? Yes, That's a rib. Hey, did you know you are sitting on a dead animal?" I stared at him for a moment in shock and disbelief and then frantically rolled off to the side, kicking an ant bed on my way by. I tried to scramble to my feet and that's when my knee locked up. This kind of stuff only happens in the movies you know.

Yes, my mother told me that some days are better than others but she never told me that there would be days like this.

Update
Yesterday afternoon we returned to my truck and B had on his work clothes. It was only a matter of moments to replace the belts. When we cranked it though; we discovered that the idler pulley was frozen so I had to buy a new one of those. Ultimately I was able to drive to town with just the one belt and no power steering. Later we bought the parts and finally my truck was functioning again. This weekend I have been very grateful to God for his provision and for friends.

RW