Was he an angel??

My good friend argued his best with me not to buy that car. But, I wanted it.  Ever since losing my last MG Midget there wasn’t another car that would take its place.  So, overlooking all good reason not to invest in this little sporty model, I purchased it.  It was great!  That lasted almost a month.

One day while out doing grocery shopping with my small daughter, elderly grandmother, and a puppy, we were on our way home.  Now,  you have to consider the size of this vehicle….  it’s about the size of two grocery carts abutting one another.  You also need to know that while sitting in the two front seats – you’re literally sitting on the floor of the car.  There is no backseat.  There’s a small console that rises up enough for a six-year old to fit on and stick a small puppy beside her on the floor next to her.  Groceries were in the trunk….directly behind the small console with the small child and little dog.  This mobile contraption was stuffed to the gills.

We were driving up River Street in West Springfield, went under the railroad overpass, and got to the front of the line facing a red light.  While idling there waiting for a green light, smoke started rising out of the hood.  Lots of smoke from under the hood.  Then a small red/orange flicker that looked like a lit candle.  More smoke.

The car was in first, so I put on the e-brake and turned the thing off.  Now  —  what to do next?  And —  think fast.   Get everyone out of the car.  My daughter and the puppy were no problem.  My 90-year old gimpy grandmother, sitting on the floor of a small container was no easy situation.  Did I also tell you that she has a heart condition, is blind in one eye, and doesn’t move very quickly?  The smoke is getting thicker and larger flames are happening.

I’m in the middle of two lanes struggling with keeping it together and trying to wrestle my grammy out of that tiny box called a sports car.  Out of nowhere a man appeared and asked if he could help.  Yes!!  Any help would be appreciated.  He seemed to have been walking along the sidewalk and saw the dilemma.  He easily extracted Nana out of the MG.  We headed for a garage diagonally across the street from the intersection.   Within a couple of minutes this man had everything under control, everyone safe, and everything taken care of.  I thanked him and he walked out of the garage.  I told my family I’d be right back, hoping to ask him if I could pay him for his help and thank him again.  It was only a minute.  I went outside and there was no-one there.  I ran to the sidewalk and looked up and down.  Went back to the garage and looked all around the area.  The place is wide open…..no ‘hidden’ areas.  The man who helped us was nowhere to be seen or found.  He was just gone.  I asked the mechanic at the garage if he knew the person who helped us….he didn’t see a man with us!

I’ve thanked this man so many times over the ensuing years and think that if he was a Guardian Angel he must certainly know how thankful we all were that he was there!!

–  ashanta