FLAT TIRES/DENTIST/SHOPPING

OUR FLAT TIRE IN INDIA



SEE THE GUY WITH THE TIRE? THIS IS A SNAP SHOT OF OUR DRIVERS AS THEY LEAVE US ON THE ROAD SIDE WITH A FLAT TIRE!

Woke up this morning Thursday with only a few hours of cat naps under my belt. We have to face going back to the eye hospital. Debra had a pretty rough night. Where they placed the hooks to keep the eye open really bothered her a lot. She wasn’t the most pleasant person to deal with on this matter and the drops burn. I know that…. but you have to do it anyway. We made it threw the night and she did sleep most of the time but having to be woken up for drops didn’t sit well with her. Morning was a blessing to see the sun coming up over the mountains and know that another night had passed. That means one day closer to home. The impending trip was working on me with no sleep I wasn’t at my best I have to admit. When the hospital called they sent another driver that was an older gentleman who had been driving with them for 12 years. My heart jumped with joy and they had a nice little car that was clean and the air conditioner worked well. It wasn’t going to be a repeat of yesterday. We made the trip they took a different route and all was good. Debra got her check up and it looked perfect swelling was down and she could read the 20/15 line on the chart. She was so happy that the lack of sleep had worn off. Our driver spoke good English and we could chat and visit with him which was nice. It’s on the return trip that thing went very wrong. We got outside the main part of the city and they had to cross over a very rough area in the road way. It wasn’t long after that a biker pulled up and started pointing at the tire. Yes, it was going flat. We stopped and tried to get a ‘side of the road’ van style tire service to help us but they didn’t have a tire that would work with our car. The drivers had a spare but it was also flat so they decided they would LEAVE US with the car and walk back to a fix station and get the tire fixed and return. It should have been only 30 minutes. I watched our guys in dress slacks and shirts with ties grab up the tire and walk away leaving me and Debra on the side of the road with a car/flat. As they disappear I realize I don’t have any ID on me. We are in a car that we don’t own, can’t speak the lingo here and we have a flat. I am not having a good feeling here. I did have their business cards but I don’t have a cell phone with me. As they disappear walking across a huge roadway full of traffic hauling a dirty flat tire on a 15 inch rim. My heart sank! I tried to be calm as Debra is one day out of her eye surgery. Be calm don’t get upset about anything isn’t that what they said??? I was having 610 flash backs. So we watched the crazy sights of woman carrying loads of wood on top of their heads. I wanted to take some pictures but Debra was freaking out about me pulling out a camera on the side of the road while we were lost and alone. She didn’t want people to realize we were stranded and packing an expensive camera. I agreed it wasn’t wise to be flashing that around. Anyway the sights kept us entertained but as time pasted it went way past 30 minutes. It turned into more like 3 hours. We got really hot, had to deal with flies and people honking and looking at us like we were crazy. It felt pretty crazy. They had left the windows down on the car and it’s electric so as storm clouds started to build we knew that it was going to start raining. Time to do something. I went back and somehow got the guy with the van/gas/tire repair to understand we needed to call these men. He took the business card and dialed the first number….no answer. He then said something soft, low and comforting he kept dialing the phone. He got me one of our drivers and I was able to find out they were on the way back and would be there in 10 minutes. I was not assured. They did come and I was never so happy. They then find out they don’t have the right tool to take off the tire! They spend another good hour flagging down drivers in delivery trucks to help them. We stood in the rain under a big tree while they danced around in the rain. I kept begging them to call another driver or a taxi service but oh no it would be just a few more minutes and they would deliver us. I soon realized it is true only God can deliver you. After a while someone did stop that had a jack and tools. Our wet sweaty drivers got the tire changed and told us to load up it was done. We returned to a car full of flies. We spent a good bit of time getting them out of the car and the drivers were so hot and wet they want the air conditioner on and not the windows down so we battled to roll them up and down getting the flies out of the car. They have flies like we have mosquitoes. They are very unpleasant and swarm you if you are still you have to constantly swish them away. We did get them all out and the air was blowing full blast on our hot sweaty drivers. Yes, the smell was not enjoyable! Again we would be very happy to see the Tip Top Hotel. In India that’s the way it goes. So sorry madam. So sorry. You can’t really get to upset because it’s the truth they had no control over a flat tire. Just seems we were doomed with this travel I was taking Bharat and his ever so careful planning a little for grant. That was a big mistake on my part. He really did know what he was doing and dealing with him none of these things would have happened. We used the eye hospital transportation because it was part of the price of our procedure but it was a big mistake. Who knew? It’s a live and learn and if we had of had a flat Bharat would have had to do something also to get us out of the mess. Flat tires in India are a big problem with the rough roads and pot holes big enough to eat a full grown man.
We were not put off and still had to go to the dentist office once again so we had our hospital drivers go ahead and take us to the mall. They owed us that much, a free trip to somewhere. They did it gladly. We had a fun time looking around and checking out shops. We went to the dentist and afterwards and they really drilled Debra. I can not believe she doesn’t get them to deaden her mouth. I could not do it and she wasn’t really happy be the time it was over. She was thinking a shot might be a good idea but they wrapped it up and she went without one. Not my cup of tea I can tell you it was making me ill just hearing it. Santos our friendly dentist says “Debra what language are you speaking? Oh no we don’t speak that in India are you paining? Breath through your nose now don’t move.” Drill Drill Drill…….it was outrageous!!! I stopped them at one point and said Debra have them give you a shot. Oh no she would not do it. I would have never done that in a hundred years. Anyway to make the day top out nicely we went and did some more shops. She took it like a trooper I would have been in bed! We got these ladies to show us how to do the saree ties. It’s so beautiful. I didn’t buy any I just looked it over and had a good time trying on India style. I was really tired but just running on adrenalin.
We ran a little late and it got dark…….very dark. Oh well we still had to get back and we had to do it own our on. At night the rain breaks off and they build fires all along the roads to fix food over these little fire pits. There is music and it’s festive. It’s also cooler than in the day time and comfortable outside at least it was last night. The flies go away and instead of the smell of musk and sweat you smell spices, cooking, coffee. It’s interesting and it draw you to want to stay out and take it all in. There was an ox drawn cart I pointed it out to Debra and we looked at it then went on walking. I soon felt something vibrating the ground. I look around and the ox cart is passing me with these monster size animals pulling a wooden wheeled cart. I could feel the breath of these animals they were that close to me. Cars and rickshaws also joined the ox’s along the road way. It was an unbelievable moment in time it just kind of stood still. Every part of me knew it was a moment I would remember the rest of my life. It was a moment I will always treasure. Like others that I hold dear in my heart, this is my life, it’s happening right now.
Margie and Ken are Roland’s sister and brother-n-law they just did a 6 week missionary tour in China. They teach as they can the Lord’s word in China. I know that they have had these types of moments. Ken is such a believer in the teaching of God’s word and they take this teaching very seriously and I know they have felt this for themselves first hand. Life is so very different here and it’s really something to see it with your own eyes.
I think I will close this out for today. There is more but it’s time to get some rest. I love you Rollie Bear and we are never going to regret trusting our Lord and our hearts on this matter.