Emergency Morning Automobile Operations…

“Charlie said to be sure and bring you,” my father said over the phone very early this morning.  “He’s had a bad flat tire on his way to work over by Jack’s in Lafayette.”

I rubbed my eyes as my body caught up with my mind.  My hamster reluctantly squeaked as it got in its wheel that squeaked reluctantly as well.

“I’ll pick you up in ten minutes,” my father then told me.

I got out of the bed and hurriedly dressed in some old yard work clothes. Changing tires is very dirty work.

It is about a 30 minute drive to our county seat, Lafayette.  I sat in the passenger's seat of the X5 dazed and seemingly confused as we sped up Highway 50.  We pulled up next to Charlie as he was drinking coffee and eating a breakfast biscuit.  NPR was playing on the radio. He seemed to be having a grand time.

“Took you two long enough!” he said with a smile and a laugh.

It took me about 15 minutes to change the tire and Charlie was on his way.  The cause of the flat was a mangled stainless steel fork stuck in the tire’s sidewall.  I told Charlie that the tire was not salvageable much to his dismay.

“How in the holy hell do you get a fork stuck in your tire?” dad asked me as we headed back home.

I just shrugged, shook my head in wonderment, and laughed. 

Photo Credit:  http://www.ipaintiwrite.com/2013/06/04/when-life-gives-you-a-flat-tire-make-a-tire-swing/