The experiences one encounters, while living abroad, translated…
While I was studying in France, during a winter, I’d, met an angel from earth.
As an impoverished student, I can only afford a place in the suburbs of Paris, but, there are, a couple of benefits: one, because the place didn’t have that much traffic, I’d, managed to, train my legs in the two years I’d studied there; secondly, the place I lived was loosely populated, without the distractions, I’d focused more on my studies, and not gotten seduced by the colorful world outside. And on top of that my landlord was a collector of used materials, and other than the wooden panels that he’d torn off from all around, there was still an empty lot, big enough for two, to three cars.
A friend of mine in France had his eye on the lot, before she went abroad, she’d given her car for me to look after, asked me to start the engine from time to time, so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. Before she flew out, she’d stated very lightly, “Oh, be careful, the car door would close on its own automatically.” I’d not paid it any heed, thought, “If I’m inside, then, why would it matter?”
On Sunday morning, two weeks later, as I’d started the engines, I’d found, that there’s, not enough gas in the tank, I’d thought, “Why not head out, to get some gas, and buy some things I couldn’t buy but would need daily?”, I’d not wasted any time at all, opened up the car door, gotten outside of the car, checked the wheels a bit. And, in the miniscule of a second, the door of the car “clicked”, and just like that, it’d closed, and, no matter how I’d tried, I can’t, get it to open back up again.
Suddenly, I’d felt that chill, from my spine to my toes. Shit! Would the car get overheated, get destroyed? Or, blow up even? And now, I’d be, responsible, for paying my friend a car that I couldn’t afford in the first place, and my studies will all, go to ruins………I’d dared not think on it any longer, and, I can only, rush to find a garage close by.
It was Sunday, and the suburbs of Paris was, DEAD with silence, nobody was working. I ran around frantically, not seeing anybody else, and at the end, I thought about calling the police, but, I’d not carried a photo of my friend, and maybe, I’ll get taken in as a suspect, and I can’t even, begin, to imagine what would happen.
“Dear Lord, there’s, nothing else I can do, can you please, help me ragged my shuffling steps back to my residence, mumbling these, prayers. Suddenly, there was, a small truck by the side of the road, and, although it wasn’t the same model, I can only, hoped, for the best.
I’d rushed to the front of the truck, there were, two movers, setting up some furniture, I’d started ranting incessantly, out of panic, begged them to help me; and one of the men looked, quite unwilling, but still agreed to come with me, and, went to the backyard, took out a set of keys. Actually, I’d, given up all hope, but, at that very moment, the door popped open! I was so stunned, but I’d not gotten the opportunity to thank him, he’d already, run off.
Early the next morn, the crowd gathered outside my residence, the sirens that flew right by woke me out of my dreams, the neighbors told me, “a home was burglarized, all the furniture, gone!” I’d followed the direction where he’d pointed towards, wait a second, wasn’t that where, the truck was parked?
This, would, probably be, one of the most memorable thing that this person will keep for a very long time, she was helped out, by a burglar, and, that just still showed, how despite the man was there, to burglarize the neighbors, he was still, kind enough, to help this woman unlock her friend’s car…