Car tires take a beating here. Between the rough roads that cause suspension and balance problems and obstacles that easily puncture tires and the heat that weakens them, tires need constant watching and frequent changing. Even when you’re careful, you will still have tire adventures.
I was driving back from Zomba the Wednesday day and was stopped at a police check, a routine event. The office who stopped me said that my one back tire looked worn and I should check it. When I got home, I did and it was worn, the result of a suspension problem that had been corrected, but not before damage had been done to the tire. Yesterday I asked Maxwell to change it with the spare. He had difficulty, since he had loaned the tire jack to Sam Ncozana and hadn’t gotten it back. He borrowed one from the mechanic here at the Synod and changed the tire, but reported that the other tire was worn as well. This all happened late in the afternoon. The problem was that we did not have another spare and today, Friday, is a holiday here and everything is closed. We didn’t have time to get new tires. I had planned to drive a some folks to Nyala Park in Chikwawa as a holiday treat, but that was out of the question with worn tires. We canceled the trip for another time. I knew the tires were not so bad that I couldn’t go to the church this afternoon for a meeting, so I went ahead with those plans.
As I drove along the main road, on the way to the church, a fellow pointed at my front tire, not the one I had been worried about. I pulled over to discover that it was going flat. Now I was away from home, a small distance, true, but away, with a flat tire, a worn spare but no jack. I called Sam for help but he was out of town for the holiday. I called Maxwell, but he was away for the day, too. I tried calling some of the church members who were to be at the meeting I was to attend but could not reach them. Then Sam called back and said that he had called his friend Iman to come and assist me. He is a fellow who had driven for me once, so I know him. Sam has known him since childhood, a delightful young man. In less than half an hour he was there with his cousin Christopher to assist him. He knew I had no jack, but the one he had was made for his big truck and the wrench was too large for the lug nuts on my car. He needed to get a different one. He said he would take me home and then get a different wrench. I said I would stay with the car, to be certain it was safe.. As we were discussing this, Amos, my night watchman arrived. Maxwell had called him to come and do what he could to assist me. He would stay with the car and Iman could drop me at the house. That was settled. But Amos was concerned about me getting into a car with a stranger. I had to assure him that I knew Iman and I was safe. He was assured and off we went.
Within an hour they returned to the house, the tire changed. So here I sit in the comfort of my home and Iman, Christopher and Amos all back to their own business. I won’t be able to attend by meeting today (ahh shucks) and I’m not certain how many tires I will need to buy tomorrow, but I have been well cared for in the midst of tire problems. I am blessed.
