Thursday, February 9, 2012

Guyanese-ness

In the general moaning about how the place is going to the Dogs I had a timely reminder about one of the good things about us.
After my Yoga class, I saw a road-stand selling smoothies on Sheriff St and decided to check it out. I pulled up in an expensive borrowed car- all my radiator hoses being busted when the 'new guys' pressure-tested the radiator system of the old one - don't even go there- being a simple soul I didn't realise that the heavy door hadn't shut properly and locked the car with the remote electronic button.
My heart sank when I jumped in after a nice little chat with the guy running the show who went through all his specials. The engine turned but didn't start and I thought that the battery had run flat ( we replaced it only last year!) - so after shouting about the possibility of jumper cables to all the drivers in earshot I ran across the road to ask a nice taxi boy if he had-- he didn't but obligingly told me to ask the owner of the service who had a proper set- not the usual two electric cables/wires. When I ran back I couldn't remember how to open the bonnet, then another guy (Guyanese like to help) ambled over to inform me that it wasn't the battery cos the engine was turning over, and helped me locate the lever to open the thing. Then I remembered the peculiarity of the car-- it has the battery in the boot! So while the Taxi guy re-arranged his vehicle to give me a jump-start, I started on another panic that the central locking was stuck!! panic Panic panic!!! So everything was locked except the driver's door-- breathe-- dis Yoga ting nah work good -
So start from the beginning - locked back everything then reopened - everything opened - praise God - and the Germans for inventing a car that can withstand idiots - and mercifully the engine purred back into action.
After thanking everyone profusely, I jumped into the car and thought with the years I've been travelling on the  Georgetown to Berbice road I have never for one moment thought that in an emergency no-one would come to help - big POINT for Guyana man - whether is due to fastness they have it in them to help motorists and people generally in distress - so although they are taking a lot of Flak at the moment with the abnormally high levels of Domestic Abuse somewhere lurking inside their hearts is a Kind Salt-of-the-Earth Human Being.

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