Friday Pick-Up

by Donna Kirk on November 20, 2017

Each Monday and Friday, Ed picks the girls up from school and takes them (and him) to the candy store. It’s a Kirk ritual.

On Friday, Grampa arrives as usual, gets the girls, they all walk back to the car and pile in.

Car won’t start.

Girls start crying. “Call Daddy!”

Ed calls me. I arrive 20 minutes later with the jumper cables.

I had to read my manual to figure out how to open the hood on my car. (Stop rolling your eyes, faithful readers. How often do you open the hoods of your cars????)

Ed attaches the cables to his battery and manages to clank the other two together when he’s bringing them over to my car. Sparks fly.

The girls, who are standing on the sidewalk, cry louder.

Ed and I found the positive (red) charge on my battery but couldn’t locate the negative one.

Girls are really crying now. Probably listening to Ed and me say things like: *#+#@*.

Along comes a gentleman dressed in traditional Indian clothes. Another gentleman comes out of his house which is across from where we parked.

They approach and say in perfect English, “Having trouble?” Ed says nothing and I practically hug them. To me, gentleman #2 sounds Russian.

 Mr. Russia looks the situation over and says we can ground the negative charge anywhere and points to a bolt. The other man nods in agreement.

They must be nuts, I think.

Mr. Russia pushes everyone away, attaches the cable to the bolt and tells Ed to start his engine.

VOILA!

The girls pile into my car while I thank the gentlemen profusely. Then we head to the candy store. Ed drives home.

(Scene Break)

Sunday, Joe brings the girls for dinner. We repeat the story to him.

“I agree with the girls,” he says. “You should have called me.”

We handled it just fine, I thought. What does he think we are, a couple of incompetent old folks???

Ed’s car has started fine ever since. This was just a case of bad car karma.

 

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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

Sherry Isaac November 21, 2017 at 11:11 am

LOL I have jumper cables. No idea how to use ’em, but I got ’em.

Remind Joe who taught him how to use Velcro…

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Donna Kirk November 21, 2017 at 2:29 pm

Grown up kids are so smug!!! Don’t you find? Thanks for reading, Sherry.

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Michelle Sim November 21, 2017 at 1:35 pm

I have NO IDEA how to open the hood of my 15 year old VW Beetle. For 15 years now I haven’t figured it out. I told Ian yesterday that I needed washer fluid and he said, “ya? and….” I told him as I have been telling him for 15 years now that I cannot figure out how to open the hood. He did roll his eyes! Paul has explained to me in detail how it’s done. His Beetle is 18 years old. He’s got it down pat.

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Donna Kirk November 21, 2017 at 2:31 pm

Like I said to Sherry – grown up kids are so smug, and obviously, so are some husbands. However, I’m sure Ed would have figured out how to open my hood without using the manual…..

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Julie November 21, 2017 at 3:05 pm

Time to publish another book Donna! Your stories are always captivating and entertaining!

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Donna Kirk November 21, 2017 at 3:31 pm

Can I include some stories about the Foss’s???

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JENNIFER MOOK-SANG November 23, 2017 at 4:55 pm

ha ha! i love this story. you’re great role models for the grandchildren!

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Sheila. Gale November 28, 2017 at 7:22 am

Love it! Keep them coming!

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Sheila. Gale November 28, 2017 at 7:23 am

I like Julie’s comment.

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