13. The True Superheroes

     With Bailey and McKenna in my Jeep, we trekked from Thanksgiving Part 2 back to Provo.  To be perfectly honest, I was happy to be back in the bubble.  As we neared the exit--2.5 miles away to be exact--tragedy struck.  All of a sudden, we felt my car tip sideways.  "Get over to the left," directed Bailey.  I followed suite, not even checking to make sure the HOV lane was clear.  "Put your hazard lights on."  I started to breathe really heavy.  

     "It's okay," soothed McKenna from the backseat.  

     "I'm going to go see how bad it is," my voice quavered.  I opened up my front door, peered down, only to see a shredded wheel.  "It's totally shredded.  I can't just spray the seal-tight stuff my dad gave me, if this were to ever happen.

     "I'm calling my dad," Bailey said.

     "I'll call mine too."  I said.  As I called my dad, he didn't answer, but I did get a text back.  

Dad: Can I call you later?

Me:  Well, I have a flat tire...on I-15

Dad:  Call AAA.  They will send someone.  Did you pull over and put on your hazards?

     He’s doing tithing settlements.

     "My dad's going to come help us,"Bailey said.  We are so lucky he's already out driving back from Syracuse.  I'm so glad they live in Bluffdale.  

     "That's spectacular," I said.  "I'm going to call Triple A.  My dad said to."  I went through the routine, getting my card from my dashboard.  

     "I have a bad feeling," Bailey said.

     "I usually trust when Bailey has a bad feeling," McKenna said from the back seat.

     “What are you suggesting?” I asked.

     “Maybe we could pull forward a bit.  I mean, I don’t want to crush your tire even more or get the car caught on fire, but we are hanging over this HOV lane.”

     “Let me see what I can do,” I said.  I brought the Jeep to life, and inched forward, wincing at the scraping of metal.  “I’m going to get out of the car,” I said.  I wish I would have paid more attention when we learned to change a tire at mutual.

     “No, my dad said to stay in the car,” Bailey said.  I acquiesced.  Don’t mess with Bailey.  We waited for about 10 minute in silence.  Every time a car whizzed by, our car lurched sideways and back again. 

     “Bailey, do you still have that squirt whipped cream from Thanksgiving Part 2?” I asked.

     “Why certainly.”

     “Pass it over,” I commanded from the driver’s seat.  I slowly inched the nozzle to my mouth, tilted it backwards, and started to squirt the empty calories down my throat.

     “Pass it back,” called McKenna.

     We sat there for ten more minutes, feeding on the whipped cream; suddenly, Bailey’s phone started to ring.  “Hello?”

     “Is that you guys stranded on the road back there?” asked my Aunt Shennon.  She, too, was coming back from my grandparents’ house to Provo.

     “Yeah, we got a flat,” Bailey said.  “My dad’s coming to help us.”

     “Hang on just a sec, we’re turning around,” said my aunt.

Two minutes later, our first rescuers of the night came.  My tall, skinny Uncle Eric hopped out of his SUV with his church suit on.  “What did you hit?” he asked, almost in a comical way.

     “We didn’t hit…anything.  It just…exploded,” I explained.

     I proceeded to spend the next ten minutes following him around like a puppy, trying to be helpful.  I felt humbled when he got down on his knees in his suit and started changing my tire. 

     Soon, Uncle Shayne, the twins’ dad, arrived.  Both of my uncles were bent down, changing my tire. They would send me off with little tasks.  I felt utterly useless; I like to be self-reliant, and there was not much I could do to be of help.  Bailey and McKenna stayed in the car, Bailey manning the phones and McKenna shifting luggage while we searched for items we needed to change the tire.  After about twenty minutes of labor, the AAA worker showed up and finished the job. 

     After hugging both of my uncles and thanking the AAA worker, we were headed back on the road to Provo.  I felt sheepish as I got back on the road.  That tire was shredded. If I would have lost control, we easily could have been killed tonight.  And the fact that two of my uncles came to my rescue.

    After we safely arrived at Heritage Halls, I got a call from my dad.  “Are you guys okay?” asked my dad.

     “Yeah, I’m surprised.  The Jeep is fine, and we’re fine.  I’ll have to send you a picture of the tire…I don’t know how we made it out of there unscathed.

     “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to change it myself,” my dad said.

     Few events will get me to choke up.  One is when I am angry.  The second is when I am overcome with gratitude.  That night, I felt gratitude to my Heavenly Father for keeping us safe, and for two uncles, who could be my dad away from home.