Tag Archives: humanity

Stranger = 1, Me = 0

Last Friday couldn’t have been worse, yet better at the same time.

I was waking up to such a spirit that I would attend The SabangMerauke Diversity Dinner in Friday night – been longing to meet SM’s Big Family after months since our farewell dinner. My spirit was not up for too long because just after I arrived at the Office, my schedule was crushed due to a sudden meeting and a client emergency.

Failed to attend the dinner and feeling so miserable scrolling through great photos of that event, I drove home around 8 pm to at least meet my son before he went to bed. The traffic was a disaster and my feeling flunked to the bottom. In line with my bad mood, my car was also begin to show its temper: it had an engine failure in a dark crowded-but-quiet street. Luckily (yes, we Indonesian could always find the positive thing in every desperate situation), I was in the left lane so I didn’t cause a scene or heavier traffic.

Used to be in such situation, I panicked but pretend to be calm (although no one was looking at that time to judge). I called my husband and being told to check the engine so I again pretending to be brave and went out of the car to check the engine, even when I honestly don’t have any idea what my husband was instructing. I focused analyzing with perfect failure when I realized two men were approaching me. Shocked – I couldn’t understand what they were saying to me until they repeated it for (maybe) the fifth time.

Stranger : ‘Is your car having an engine failure?’

Me : ‘huh? oh.. yeah..’

Stranger : ‘Can we check the engine?’

Me : ‘huh? check the engine?’

Stranger : ‘yeah, so that we can find the problem?’

Me : ‘huh? oh yeah..yeah.. the engine.. yes, please.’

Stranger : ‘have you call your mechanic yet?’

Me : ‘no..no.. I haven’t. Let’s take a look…..

…and they looked at my car while I was doing what they instructed me to.

Long story short, they couldn’t find the real problem but they found a way to make the engine work so I could drive back home and didn’t left alone in that dark road.

I got home safe and sound that night, thanks to them.

So, to summarize the story? I’ve had a bad day but also a great day at the same time. I was quiet frightened when they approached me, but they turned out to be very kind and caring gentlemen. May God blesses them and showers them with health and wealth.

Because of those strangers, my faith in humanity restored strengthened.

Love,

Human.

Faith in Humanity restored..

Those words are taken from 9gag, one site that I visit regularly these days due to my very boring office routines.

i have a trouble with uchile *my car* these two months. Uchile was very sick, been through many engine operations and it had been finer this week.. until last night. When I was in my way going back home, suddenly Uchile experienced the dead engine and we were in the middle of a traffic jam. I’ve got panicked, switched the hazard lights on, open the door and trying to push Uchile a lil bit away from the jam, and of course i’ve failed, i am not strong enough to make it move further.

Panicked, indeed. I went out the car and shouting through the road noise, asking help to the men nearby (across the street), Thank God he understand what I mean and trying to cross the road as fast as he can, following by his friend. Luckily, the driver of the car behind me is a kind person that was not horned at me.

The two gentlemen helped me to push my car away from the road, but since this street has no pavement, i have to park my car near the railway. They open the car engine and it was very hot although the temperature sign was not indicating a temperature arisen at that time.

Long story short (i am so sorry, i can’t explain the engine detail since i understand only a little about it), they’ve done all they can to help me, adding the water to the engine, checking the battery and many other stuffs. We want to push the car but the street was full and all we can do at that time was waiting till the engine isn’t hot anymore.

I’ve called my father and my brother was going to get to me as soon as he can. I’ve called Mr. J who was in his way back from his office and promise me he would be there as soon as he can.

I sat at a “warung” nearby while I was waiting for them to come. My brother arrived first and checked the car, guessing that there was something wrong with the alternator or something like that so he asked Mr. J to come with a mechanic, and a battery jumper (is it right?). We waited until Mr. J came and solve the problem, although the mechanic said that we had to change the alternator. I was going home with my brother and Mr. J took Uchile to the garage.

It wasn’t my first experience with a sudden dead engine car. I’ve been through it before, quite often, but it was my first experience in the middle of a traffic jam. Been through these situation a lot made me often deal with my own frustration and realize that we never can live alone in this world. People now become more self-centered, said some people, but after experience such things, I believe that people is not too self-centered, may be people around us is just too afraid to do something for other because they afraid to be judge as someone who want to interfere others too much. I do believe in humanity and I do believe in kindness to other.. 🙂