I went home for the weekend. It was productive yet sad. I attended a memorial service for the wife of a mentor. The next day, I went to church at Northcreek and had lunch with Ryan and Jireh. After visiting Grandma and getting a Costco membership, it was time to go home.
“I’m leaving right now. Please pray for me as I embark on this 5.5 hour drive,” I texted Faith at 6:22 p.m.
Yes—p.m.—it was going to be a long night drive. I couldn’t stay in East Bay another night. I was so tired, but I had work at 7 a.m. and needed to drive back. So, I drank the coffee Grandma had bought me and hit the road.
Prior to starting, I posted on Instagram, “Ask me anything.” This time, my high school friends[1] decided to troll me. With each break, I’d find a new surprise. I had the usual questions such as “What’s your favorite food?,” “What class are you looking forward to the most this semester?,” and “Favorite artist?” But then it got interesting.
“Do you have a girlfriend yet?” Alex asked.
“Nope.”
“Do you have a wife yet?” Matt asked.
“Nope.”
“Can you find me a wife?” Matt also asked.
“No. Do I look like a matchmaker to you?”
Matt then rapid fired a few more: “Will you drink when you’re 21?,” “Is marital rape a sin?,” “How much do you fart in a day?,” “What do you look for in a woman?,” and “What are your red flags in a woman?”
Followed by Alex, who asked, “Will you go out with me?”
“No.”
The last of this craziness came in around 11:30 p.m. as I arrived at Lost Hills, California, to fill my tank with cheap gas. I continued my drive until I got to Bakersfield to use the restroom and snooze for a few minutes. I only had one more hour to go.
After resting for a bit, I put my keys into the car, turned the ignition, and nothing. My car wouldn’t start! I tried it again and nothing. Just what I was looking for! A broken car at 1 a.m.!
I called AAA, who sent Cal-State Towing to help me out. The technician tried to jump start my car, but that wasn’t working. The battery must have needed to be replaced, but something also seemed to be wrong with my starter. However, he couldn’t check my battery, but he would send someone at 6 a.m. It was 3 a.m. I’d have to wait for a few hours before getting a call.
7 a.m. came and went, and I got no call. I called Cal-State, and they said to call AAA again. Why couldn’t they just send me someone like the technician had promised? Now I had to use another one of my limited roadside assists for the same issue!
I called Leo to tell him that I wouldn’t be at work that morning, and he recommended that I hit my car starter. What was that supposed to mean? How would hitting a part of my car make it go? I didn’t even know what the part looked like!
I called my dad, and he recommended the same thing. My dad sent me a picture of his car, which was the same model. I was hesitant to hit a part of my car, but I did. No luck.
Finally, the Cal-State technician came. He tested the battery and the alternator; everything was fine. Next, he did what Leo and my dad had recommended; he hit the starter. I turned the keys, and my car engine started running! Leo and my dad were right.
[1] My high school friends’ names are pseudonyms.
