My Troublin' Truck

For what I think is the 4th time in 12 months, my truck has left be stranded on the side of the road just a few blocks from my house. My truck sat at the light ready to make a right turn. My left foot engaged the clutch, my right hand pushed the shift knob towards "1". First gear. The gear shift jammed before locking in. I tried other gears, nothing. After several tries, I called my friends to tell them I wasn't gonna make it to the party. Another call dialed AAA requesting assistance. I could expect a truck in an hour. Ricky and Meghan showed up to help. Ricky and I pushed the truck out of the intersection while Meghan directed traffic away from us. One driver refused to move, so we all but jumped out of his way before he changed lanes just yards away from Meghan and the truck. Ricky and Meghan stayed with me for a bit, then left to look at wedding rings.

Lucky for me, the the temperature was in the mid-80's, with plenty of cloud cover. The sky threatened light showers, but no rain fell. If my truck wasn't in the middle of the road I'd have gone inside, but it's not a good idea to abandon a vehicle in the road. My iPod kept me company and I drew in the sketchbook I carry with me. I took a few snapshots of the sky above. AAA called to inform me that there will be an 60-90 minute delay.

Eventually the rain began to fall. I rolled up the windows. With nothing else to do but sit, I started playing with the clutch again. I managed to start the truck in gear! If started in neutral, the clutch didn't allow switching to 1st, or any, gear. So I started the truck in second gear, left the hazard flashers on, and headed for home. A call to AAA cancelled the already delayed truck and I informed them I'd call on Tuesday to get the truck to a mechanic.

So, now I guess it's time for a new car.