Saturday, June 17, 2006

the kindness of strangers

Last Friday night was soccer night for the twins. They play different fields, same time. So we take one vehicle, drop off one parent and one child at one and then drive 10 minutes to the other one. Last Friday was wet as in P*SSING RAIN!!! We had our Maritimers bright yellow raincoats and billy boots and huge golf umbrella so we were fine.

The game ends, time to leave and pick up hubby and baby girl. Get baby boy and big sis in the car. Put key in engine, one little chug, and it dies. Try again and again and again. Nothing. Zilcho. Call hubby on his cell. Before I can finish my sentence, my phone dies. OK, let's not panic in front of the kids. We are parked on a quiet suburban street. The car windows are all fogged up. I leave big sis with baby boy and walk up to this nice looking house and ring the doorbell.

What a sight I must have been. Wet, messy hair, look of panic in my eyes. This nice man lets me in, his wife and two girls behind him. They let me use their phone to call hubby AND he offers to drive me over to pick up the rest of my clan. So I hop in this total stranger's van. Hubby and baby girl are the last ones on their field. Remember, its still P*SSING RAIN!! Baby girl is all freaked: "where is my brother? who is this man? where is our car? etc" Of course, the conversation turns to soccer. This man is from the Netherlands and rooting for his home country. He offers to drive us home (a good half hour ride back and forth for him) but hubby says, lets go to your house first and see what's up with the car. He plays with this and that and the car sputters and comes to life! Looks like this electronic anti-theft thingamajiggy fried and was shortcircuiting the ignition or something like that. I just drive cars, don't understand them ;) This nice man invited us into his home to drink something hot. We declined wanting to get home as the kids were freaked and exhausted and WET.

So yesterday, we parked in front of his house again. We rang the door bell and gave him a FIFA soccer ball from the Netherlands and thanked him again.

One kind act deserves another.

7 comments:

nancy said...

That is SO nice of you to return the favour. Good for you, and of course good on him too for helping you so much. Glad it all worked out.

BeachMama said...

How sweet you are. Nancy got me started with the tears and you are just making them keep on going. So good of you to return the favor.

Northern Mom said...

What a great story!
Thanks for sharing it!

Tonya said...

Hi I'm new to your blog and just wanted to say that was a great story and it was nice that you went back and gave him the ball :) Your right in saying.. one kind act deserves another :)

Silver Creek Mom said...

Mostly people are nice. It's the the select few that make it miserable for the rest of us.

I'm glad things turned out so well. I would be like trying not to panic.

HUGS to you and your NEW friend.

Anonymous said...

That's a really nice heartwarming story. Thanks for sharing.

Donna

twinmomplusone said...

welcome tonya :)