Of Benzes and puddles: Part 4

Adrenaline rising

I was stuck!

The weight of premonition with its attendant responsibility came crashing down on my conscience, as the words of that opinion formed in my mind.

For some reason, panic failed to engulf me at the opportune moment. With the dawn of realization came an anti-climatic but oddly pleasant sense of resignation. Perhaps I had lost the capacity to be shocked or this shock had lost its edge.

I calmly placed the gear in Reverse and tried to edge out of the quagmire. The old Merc heaved in her customary fashion and rolled back a few inches before her right rear wheel was once again spinning helplessly.

Another glance in my rear view mirrors revealed that the train of cars had caught up to me, and from their hesitation,  I sensed that the driver of the car right behind me was weighing his options in the light of my predicament. Our predicament, I should rather say.

The old dame must have felt quite undignified in the position she had become stuck in. Her hindquarters were inclined towards the sky, revealing her most intimate secrets to the wary onlookers. She edged forwards once again in the hope of taking advantage of her momentum to extricate herself from this uncomely position. Without success.

I'm sorry I got you into this, I whispered to her.

Her efforts only served to taunt the other cars who from a sudden blast of horns, seemed to have grown bored of the unintentional strip tease. Her ego was further deflated, as the lead car approached and proceeded to go by her.

We watched as the car passed by, taking the leftover approach to ford the puddle. With relative ease, he was soon beyond the puddle and on his way. Emboldened, the train of cars followed suit and each one successfully forded the murky waters.

Bae and I sat there as each went by, no one showing us any compassion. Each driver studiously kept his eye averted as we silently besought help. There was glee on the faces of some, and a fleeting glance of pity from others but none stopped to help.

Then we heard the strangely familiar sound of an engine, and a car drew up alongside in a bid to pass. He hesitated and finally came to a stop just before he had to descend into the water. A quick glance sent a jolt of joy surging through my veins, more so when the door opened and his driver stepped out.

Standing right there, and obviously eager to help was a silver pre-facelift w202.

Bae spared a moment of contemplation to wink at him. I smiled at her.

'Ooops, so sorry. Let's get you out', A man's voice announced. Bae and I heaved a collective sigh of relief.

The End

Of Benzes and puddles: Part 3

That sinking feeling...

My courage floundered and I applied the brakes briefly, while I considered my next line of action.

I had gained some distance from the nearest car behind me. In my rear view mirror, I noted from the pattern of headlights that the other cars were following my exemplary maneuver. A surge of confidence jump-started my despondent spirit. I edged forward cautiously.

On one side and towards the extreme end of this pool of water, I saw a muddy embankment that seemed well trodden, perhaps by cars that had passed previously. It was my intent to approach that embankment from an angle as a last resort, in the event that I had misjudged the depth of water I was about to enter. Muttering a prayer, I inched forward cautiously, looking for hints of solid ground along which I could ford the 'river'.

My right wheel kissed the water, and the fording began. My pulse quickened as the nose of the car descended. As in the movies, I saw the water level rise faster than I had thought. My panicking mind estimated that it had already risen twice as high as before, and was rising still.

Abort! Abort!! my head screamed. Have faith, my heart urged. I obeyed my heart.

Finally, the bumper seemed to be leveling off. Hope rose within me. As suddenly as it had started, the car came to a halt.

I had been glancing at the advancing flood and gauging its advance, through the imaginary cross-hairs formed by the outline of the hood-mounted ornament on the edge of the bumper. Now, I glanced at my instrument panel and at the gear lever. 

I applied some more throttle and watched as the triangular ESP warning indication illuminated. Then the sound of a spinning tyre broke into my subconsciousness.  I could tell it was mine.  But all else was motionless.

.

.

.

.

.

I was stuck!

 

Of Benzes and puddles: Part 2

To be forewarned...

I survived two other bumps and light puddles without further event, and approached the bend in the road. By now, I was both leader and pathfinder of a growing line of cars behind me.

As I rounded the bend,  I came face to face with a large, road-dividing puddle. My heart sank. For there was not a single oasis to be seen in that vast watery desert. I hesitated slightly, considering my options, then surged on. Perhaps it's not so deep, I thought. 

Some innate sense directed my actions as l descended into the flood. With every moment, I hoped and prayed that a solid feel of terra firma would halt this descent. It did eventually, but by this time, I could see that my front bumper was halfway submerged. By good fortune, the car sank no further, and the trepidation I felt gradually eased off into a blooming euphoria. I felt proud of her! My daredevil Mercedes!

As I emerged from the pool, I flicked my headlamps to full beam and scanned the horizon. Another road-dividing puddle even more ominous than the first beckoned.

My infantile euphoria died the death of a stillborn....