Kindness Never Tires, Part 2

(I am going home after taking my two miniature horses to the vet clinic for their annual vaccinations. Halfway home, my borrowed truck starts to shudder, then with a loud BANG the right rear tire blows out! I find a nice place to pull over on FM 51, and get out to assess the damage and check the ponies (they are fine). The tire is shredded, so I dig out the jack, and jack up the truck. I also manage to get the spare out from underneath, but it’s soft- I’m a bit concerned. As I struggle with the lug nuts, a truck pulls up on the road right next to where I pulled over and a man and his two young sons get out.)

Man: “Do you need help?”

Me: “I’ll take all the help I can get! I can’t get the lugnuts off.”

Man: “I have a bar, we can crack the nuts and get them off.”

(He manages to get all the nuts off the wheel, but the rim itself has rusted onto the wheel. Kicking and pounding have no effect. Another man in the yard next to where I pulled off comes over.)

Nice Man #2: “Do you need a sledge?”

Nice Man #1: “It might help.”

Me: “Do what you need to do!”

(Meanwhile, trucks and cars are flying up the highway way too fast for my liking, and I am afraid someone will plow into the back of my trailer with my ponies in it. I am off the road, but barely. Nice Man #1 and Nice Man #2 beat the rim, and it finally lets go. Nice Man #2 takes his sledge and goes home.)

Nice Man #1: “This tire is soft. Let me take it home and put some air in it.”

Me: “Sure, thanks so much!”

(Nice Man #1 goes home, and returns 15 minutes later.)

Nice Man #1: “I think the valve is bad; I’m going to run it to Weatherford to my buddy’s tire place and get it repaired.”

Me: “Wow, thanks so much!”

(Twenty minutes later, he returns with a tire. I help him put it back on, but I notice, it’s NOT the same tire he took, that one was muddy from being under the truck, and the tread was different! It’s used, but in FAR better condition than the spare had been! I offer him money for his help, but he refuses.)

Me: “Can I give you a hug then, instead?”

(He gave me a hug and went on his way. Thank you, nice men and two sons. I have no idea what I would have done, as I had no one to call and no way to get my ponies home.)