A strange-r day to remember!

A short story of a good takeaway from small troubling events on a day!

My toddler cried in pain when a balloon burst in her eyes.  I called up my husband to inform but could not get through to him. He had told me earlier that for the evening event he would have to leave office early and hence would be very busy finishing all his meetings back-to-back. Quickly I had to buckle both my kids in their car seats and drive to the hospital. It was very helpful to have gotten an appointment that very day with their GP, a good kids doctor. There was a waiting time though, and it was difficult managing a tiny one who was growing crankier with pain. Almost two hours later we were able to consult.  For a very worrying mother the sight of their paediatrician was very heartening. As always calm and reassuring she treated my daughter out of pain and dispatched us with quite a relief to my baby.

This event, a cricket match was on that same evening which my husband and his friends had organised to play. Over the last few weeks, we ladies had bought white t-shirts and repainted them to a blue colour with an emblem of the team for our husbands.  This was also an occasion for the families of the men to meet and get to know each other better. This was a new place where this new office project had just started for the men. And I was eager to go and cheer him and meet other ladies on this fathers play day.

I needed to arrive in less than half an hour to see the match with the kids. Since this doctor appointment had abruptly taken away our daytime I had just enough time to reach the grounds without a stopover at home. I sent a reply to my anxious husband that things are under control now, and that everything had worked out fine. He messaged back immediately that it would be better if baby took rest, and we agreed it may become already late to reach in time for the evening event so its best for us three to go home and miss the match this time.

As I was driving back home, I was in two minds whether to still give it a try to go or would the baby grow colicky and to go straight home. Just then my older child asked “are we reaching the grounds, has papa worn the sports jersey we painted for him” etc... I was telling him what we as parents had decided was advisable then, but I saw he too was disappointed if we did not go. After the appointment as I was reapplying a soothing gel and cold compress the second time my baby smiled. Suddenly the suppressed wish in us was quite apparent. Seeing baby okay I also impulsively decided we will attend the cricket match and so quickly we finished restroom and diaper change business and were on our way to surprise our husband.  

It was a far-off sports facility and after a good 15 minutes drive I discovered I had taken a wrong exit and a bad route. The new GPS (back in 2000) took a while to reroute, but I followed its directions. There were multiple highways, and I was new to driving and merging and exiting and rejoining new highways was something I was discovering the first time and trying to drive as safely as I could. Seeing the map, talking to my kids in between and following road signals I was a little tired and it felt like it was taking for ever to reach our destination. Almost an hour had passed.

That is when I found a man was following our vehicle. These were long stretches of lonely roads and suddenly I also was fearful to add to my confusions. I did not want to picture a lost female driver wandering and lost her way in the late evening. As I frantically kept driving my toddler had started wailing and sobbing and my younger kindergartner was helping her distract too but I think it would be fair to remark that we had got ourselves into a bit of road situation by then.

As I drove, I saw some residential area approaching and I took the very first opportunity to exit and   drive in front of a home where an old couple stood. They watched me drive in and noticed I was lost, or something was amiss. There were only a few houses and they figured out I did not belong there. When I waited near the parking lot the car following drove near and paused, a shady man lowered his windows looked out and briefly paused near my vehicle. When he saw me approaching that couple he decided to reverse and speed away.

That couple helped me figure out how far I had ventured from my destination and calmed me. I tried calling my husband but figured out he was deep in his sports and no one else were picking up their phones either. Surely the match had begun and there in the noisy place they were not checking or hearing their phones ring. After some time one of his friend’s wives answered my call and I told I was late and that I will take time reaching there and if she could pass on this message and ask my husband to call me back.  Here, this couple offered me to come inside but I did not want to disturb them. I told them I wanted to just comfort my daughter and halt briefly there before driving back.  

Soon my husband called back and surprised that we were not home yet. He asked me to wait there and that his friend would drive him to my location and then we will go back home together in our car. My kids heard their father on the phone and were excited to hear their papa, which brightened their spirits during the long, grim drive!  When he arrived we were all happy to see each other and chatted about our baby and the wandering drive. That friend was telling me how my husband had missed having us cheer for him and how lovely innings he had played and that it must be organised again. My husband thanked his friend/colleague and after he left we checked on our daughter again, she had gone off to sleep tired and with the medication working and its after effect. O' boy ,I was relieved not to have to drive back or navigate the roads, as my husband took over. Then we decided to have dinner outside and drove to a nearby restaurant and had a sumptuous meal.

On our return we were seeing the new area and the large homes that were prettily decorated for the approaching Christmas and new year. They gleamed with décor and fancy arrangements and lightings everywhere. Between the houses would be stretches of darkness and nothing in sight. Again, an old motel, a pub there and then followed by a row of houses at a distance. We had barely crossed a junction and entered a small lane leading to a fuel station where we intended to stop and refuel.

But short of that our car made a funny sound and we stopped to see what was wrong. We noticed we had a flat tire and went to change and use the stepney. It was dark there and our headlights could barely light enough to help us change the tires etc...  Both of us with greasy hands and finally getting the flat out we were fidgeting with fixing the new tire when suddenly someone shone their car lights onto our vehicle. We looked up and saw that a jeep had pulled up at the junction, with the driver trying to beam his powerful headlights lighting that area sufficiently only to help us. He signalled and we waved back. Quickly we changed and were all set to start driving again. We went near to thank him, and he waved a thumbs up and went away.  

As my husband drove and kids had slept off, we  both filled in each other with the day’s highlights with  much to catch up on.  How something could have gone very wrong that day and how nice family time would have been at the match and how lucky we were to have our daughter's eyes not injured badly and were so lucky to get an appointment. The car that followed felt so scary and the old couple seemed like gods help and calm me.  And the strangers help had added a good Samaritan touch that we remember it to this day.

 

The return drive to home felt a little longer and was filled with positive thoughts and feelings. A mother’s instinct? I always feel there is a support or grace on us when we feel helpless. The fear of that shady man had drained out with hopes of good people around as well. The news out there always goes on to tell us bad and unsafe things happening all around, but many a times good deeds of strangers  keeps our trust that world can be a happy place too! These incidents make us aware to be a little more human everyday of our eventful or busy days for a common good and foster community spirit. Perhaps we could be the ones paying it forward to someone alone and needy.

Reviews

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

having grown up in australia, i understand how important cricket is for (some) men. that detail really struck out for me. when you intorduced the suspicious car, my heart sank. they just came back from the hospital and i was praying for them to get home safely. the next turn of events seemed natural and was well composed. it's a work that vibes on many emotional levels and it was an ejoyable read.

[Aarti Sriram]

Ok good to know you grew up in a beautiful place like Australia, where there is such craze for this sport. Thankyou for reading through somethings culdnt have been imagined but happened in their trip. Its endearing to hear support and likes @Yoshimoto

[Marie]

This excellently penned narrative write is packed full of suspense, dear Aarti! Many times while reading it, I subconsciously held my breath! You had many adventures that day and I am so happy your precious darling baby was well at the end of it, that was the most important thing. Yes, a mother's instinct is NEVER wrong, nobody knows her child better than she does. Yes, bad things happen all around us, but we need to keep faith in our human race and not give up on it, but at the same time to protect ourselves too and to be aware at all times. I always pay forward, dear Aarti, it is the spiritual way of life. I simply adore your wondrous stories, could read them all day long and look forward to finding the next one very soon. Wishing you a very lovely, relaxed and pleasant evening, dear Aarti. Take very good care of you, keep safe and well and be aware at all times, dear friend...GREAT write! You are a natural born storyteller! Well done!

[Aarti Sriram]

Thankyou for reading and your valuable feedback dear Marie. It is heartening and useful to understand what message people carry and want to share out here with respect to our writing. I am slowly building up the habit of writing since over few weeks now and the support here is really helping maintain it for a few hours each day.
Your thoughts and words always have paid forward much more and I thankyou for the same Marie. You spread good vibes through your work and writing I so enjoy. I am happy being part of it. We need to keep that faith and protect ourselves as you rightly summarise so well here my dear!

[Marie]

Thank you so v-e-r-y much for your very kind words, dear Aarti. I wish you a very happy, blessed and wonderful day to enjoy, dear friend...

[Jeyanthi]

Oh god! It feels even reading it. Everytime I step out of my house I just pray I want to see good people. Some humans don't work like humans.
Good sister, you used your presence of mind. And also being bold. A simple plat turned into horrific events. Your children might remember your braveness and they can learn more from you and others too..

[Jeyanthi]

Yes....
Things getting too strange here often...
I also trying to learn again to ride scooty because of my daughter now... I hope I can do... thank you for regards and sharing this... 😊 happy weekend!