And I was thinking, well, I'm sure the rental car company will get me into a replacement and I'll still pretty much be able to get to my ex sister in law and niece's house near Cherry Hill pretty much when I said I would, at 7. Cristian got the Prius up on the flatbed, took me to the nearest rental car office for the company I rented from, only about 3 miles away, and we waited in line.
"Oh, no I can't get you a replacement, I'm only a licensee, you need to go to corporate to get a replacement."
"Okay, so where is the nearest corporate location?"
"Newark Airport."
Huh. So Cristian said, "Hell man, let's go. I get paid by the hour anyway. My girlfriend and I are going on vacation to see my family in Colombia next month and I need the money!"
So we drove back to the Newark Airport. Cristian knew exactly where the rental car graveyard was, a few miles from the airport. He pulled in there, we offloaded the Prius and then the conundrum was-- how the hell are we going to get my suitcase, duffel bag, computer bag, two bags of dishes my mother had given me, a bag of books, a few pairs of shoes and a few other things into the front cab of a tow truck and still be able to fit two people? Gamely, Cristian figured it all out, arranging a few things on the flatbed and strapping them down, etc.
Adios, Prius.
The whole time we were on this weird little trip, Cristian and I were talking, sometimes in Spanish (for me, haltingly-- I kept saying "Entiendo más de lo que hablo" and he would just laugh and keep talking muy rápidemente)-- about his family in Colombia, his apartment in Queens that he shared with 3 other people, his girlfriend the nurse, their upcoming trip to Colombia, what a terrible boss his boss was, how driving a tow truck meant almost getting killed several times a day in traffic, etc. We had to basically yell at the top of our lungs, as the tow truck was incredibly loud for some reason.
After we were all set, he drove me around to the rental car pick up desk, about 5 miles away. He helped me unload all of my stuff. We said a fond farewell and I got his PayPal so I could send him a tip-- I had no cash or checks on me-- over his trident protests. "No me debes nada, amigo. Todo está bien. Come visit my family in Colombia sometime."
I got back on the highway in a sort of smelly and totally American-feeling Chevy Malibu at about 8:30. I didn't get to the family visit until 10 pm, but my nephews, niece, grandniece and oldest brother were there, waiting up. It was a short visit already, with my plan being to leave the next day, July 8th, at about 1, headed for my sister's place near the Delaware River on the New York side.
At one point my adorable 4 year old grandniece (who refused to go to sleep) handed me this, and it seemed like a message of some kind:
In response to Cristian, who ended up being angel:
ReplyDelete"Ask The Angels"
Moooooove! Ask the angels who they're calling,
Go ask the angels if they're calling to thee
Ask the angels while they're falling
Who that person could possibly be
And I know you got the feeling,
You know, I feel it crawl across the floor
And I know it got you reelin'
And honey honey the call is for war
And it's wild wild wild wild.
Everybody got the feelin'
You know the feeling and it's stronger each day
Everybody wants to be reelin'
And baby baby I'll show you the way
And I know it's hard sometimes,
You got a piece and hit across the sky
And I know it's hard sometimes
And world war is the battle cry
And it's wild wild wild wild
Across the country through the fields
You know I see it written 'cross the sky
People rising from the highway
And war war is the battle cry
And it's wild wild wild wild.
Armageddon, it's gotten
No savior jailer can take it from me
World ending, it's just beginning
And rock and roll is what I'm born to be
And it's wild wild wild wild
Wild wild wild wild
Ask the angels if they're startin' to move
Comin' in droves in from L.A.
Ask the angels if they're starting to groove
Lightning as armor and it's today
It's wild wild wild wild
Wild wild wild wild
--Patti Smith.