As we were heading back to Auckland, things started to make a turn for the worse. Our car started to give us problems. Problems that can make your heart pump a little faster. What happened was, while driving we felt that the car was jerky, not smooth as it supposed to. The car started to jerk every now and then. The climax? Definitely was when the car battery died on us – while we were driving!
Fuiyoh! I tell you, that was really a close call! As the car was jerking and sputtering along, I’m pretty sure all of us were awake (we were sleeping before this;p) and praying to God that we can make it to Auckland in one piece.
To make thing worse, it was getting dark, all shops were closed and we have no one to ask for help. We were practically in the middle of nowhere! We have no choice but to drive slowly and maneuver the car all the way back to Auckland. Initially, we wanted to take the road less taken to explore the countryside but as we realized we have problem, we cancelled the idea and take the fastest, most direct route to Auckland.
As if the sputtering and jerking is not enough to make us turn green, the car decided to died on us right in the middle of the Harbour Bridge!!! Yes, I am serious!
The bridge was heavy with traffic hence we needed to brake more often. Each time Dinosaur press the brake pedal, the engine died. If that is not scary enough, try this: when the engine died, the brake system does not work too, due to ABS system locking and stuff.
Yup, the car was rolling due to momentum, engine died, and we have no control on the brake. Did I mentioned is was traffic jam then???? Yeah, cars in front, beside and behind us. I think that alone is enough to evoke terror in anyone’s heart. We have to cranked the engine every time it died, smacked right in the most busiest bridge.
Thank God Dinosaur was calm throughout and managed to maneuver the car despite the sputtering and jerking to Auckland town and we make a stop at a petrol station. Since the battery keep dying, we suspected the battery is the culprit.
We tried ringing Dinosaur’s uncle for help but he did not pick up the phone. Oh no!
Then we called a new friend who worked in the car workshop that sold us the car for help. We told him that the battery kept dying hence it might be that the battery is dead. And this nice friend actually finished work and reach home wanting to have dinner, bath and rest but as I have said, he is a nice person, he went out again to help us buy a car battery for replacement.
Finally after the long wait, he arrived. When he inspected our car, he didn’t think battery was the cause. Uh-oh, this might be something bigger and scarier than we thought. He spent quite some time fidgeting our car with limited light (Dinosaur’s torchlight) and in the cold too.
After some time, finally the car’s up and ready to go. Well, at least for temporary. Then we all had our long awaited dinner together.
After all the hoo-ha, it’s almost 10pm and we still have not got any place to stay. We tried searching some motel but it was super expensive and we can’t afford that. Lucky us, Dinosaur’s uncle graciously offered us to stay at his house.
After all that we have went through in a day, we were really tired. Both physically and emotionally.
This was definitely an extraordinary day for sure!
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