 When I drive, I must say I am a little spaced. Not so much outer spacey but inner spacey. I zone into a place that only I seem to know about. So it took three different cars honking - and two guys pointing, and one woman shouting, for me to realize that I had a flat tire.
"Okay," I finally yelled. "I get it." And I turned my car around (actually in the middle of the block on Hill - but don't tell anyone) and I came right back home. I whipped out my Triple AAA card and went into action. As in, "I need to be towed to a car place that sells tires. And...I NEED TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE MY CAR."
I'm sure the Triple AAA operators hear that a lot. But a few minutes later, wonders of all wonders, I got a call back, and that's how I met the tow truck guy, Hernando, whose name was written on his crisp white shirt.
Tall and handsome, with a nice smile, he jumped out of his truck, got ready to put air in my tire - so he could follow me instead of tow me and said, "With all due respect, I love your hair." What? "I have to color my hair several times a month, and your hair is dark and beautiful and it fluffs." Oh-my-god. He's here for my tire, but he "loves" my hair? Yes, it was true. And after we discussed different hair color brands, he followed me to the tire guy. Just a touch strange - don't you think?
But, that was only the beginning of my experience.
We get to the downtown tire place, and this really nice, efficient guy says after checking my tires, "I'm only telling you what I would tell my mother. You need four new tires to be safe." Oh-my-god. Again. "How much?" I asked. "Only $750." What? Only $750! I plucked down my credit card - because a little voice within me believed him - and let out a sigh that could be heard in Nebraska.
Now to the second strange part. The really nice guy says, "Jesus, you've got to give Nancy here a ride home, while we fix her tires." "Okay, I will take her home!" says this short guy with curly hair and a sort of crooked looking grin, who worked there. So, he hops into his small truck and so do I. It was then that Jesus, started talking about Jesus.
"Nancy, I believe in Jesus. I love Jesus. I love all religions. They are all the same. Oh, Nancy, it is not about religion it is about people - I love people. All kinds of people. What do you think Nancy, do you believe in Jesus?"
And, I'm thinking if he says Nancy one more time as if he knows me, I'm going to punch his lights out.... But, I say...
"Uh, uh, uh...sure, but Buddhists too, and people who live in Malibu, and the talmud, and rabbis, and uh, uh, uh, sure, Jesus, I believe in God."
"Yes, we are all one!" And with that statement he ran a red light and started speeding down Los Angeles Street. Oh-my-god. Again. "I LOVE THE PEOPLE," he screams. And I scream back, "SO DO I." Then I say, "BE SURE and drop me off at the corner of Third and Hill."
He did. I jumped out fast! And that morning, I found salvation with Jesus with the crooked grin. And I was never happier to leave a truck in my life. Amen.
--Nancy Mills
EDITOR'S NOTE Local writer Nancy Mills blogs about her adventures living in a loft in Downtown LA at www.talesofdowntown.com.
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