But wait--we just received a $5 gift card in the mail for Wal-Mart. I could use that for the purchase but it required activation by calling an 800 number. No problem, just a quick call and we would be on our way. I followed the directions of the incredibly slow-talking computer on the other end of the phone while my two youngest danced around me asking, "Who's that on the phone?" and "When are we going?"
Once it was activated we were finally able to leave the house. Buckled the children into the van, climbed into the driver's seat, put the key into the ignition. Turned the key one position and the dashboard lit up as usual, no problems. Waited for the "preheating" symbol to disappear before starting the van which in the summer takes only a second or two. Just as I was about to turn the key, everything went dark.
Uh oh. Problem. Tried it again but it was dead as a doornail. I opened up the hood, unbuckled the children and went inside to deliver the bad news to my dear darling husband who was slaving away amidst a pile of papers and sticky notes in his "office" (a.k.a. one end of the dining room table).
"It's dead," I said.
"What's dead?" (with the weary look of a dragon slayer who has just killed a dragon and sees another one coming)
"The Sprinter."
"Are you sure? The battery's not that old." (countenance is hopeful now)
"I turned the key and everything went dead and now it doesn't do anything. No lights, no sounds, nothing." (countenance drops)
And so my dear, darling husband left his pile of work and went outside to check it out. No lights, no sounds, nothing. He opened up the trunk of the car he drives to get the portable battery jumper. Lo and behold, the clamps don't fit onto the Sprinter van battery. Try as he might they just wouldn't grip and stay. So into the basement he went to lug up his mega battery charger thing that weighs about 50 lbs. and has wheels. The battery wouldn't even take a charge.
Now I have to say that this was really our own fault. We suspected the battery was going down earlier in the spring. But due to some other issues, Tom ended up putting a new alternator in and we figured that the new higher amp alternator would carry the battery until the fall when we would think about putting a new one in. After all, warm weather doesn't drain a battery as much as cold weather does. And so we've gone blissfully all through the summer forgetting that sitting for long periods of time (like the van did more than once this past year), and driving with the A/C on full blast (like we did for hours on end during our summer road trip last month) can take a heavy toll on the battery life. So although the battery was only about 3.5 years old, it was dead.
No problem. I suggested Tom go back to his work and not worry about it until the weekend. I would drive his sedan to Wal-Mart. Now you have to understand that I normally will not drive his car. He purchased it at an auction and although it will get you from point A to point B, it has a wide variety of problems that make me nervous to drive it.
For starters, the transmission shifts so hard you feel whiplashed after driving it. (Ok I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture). The doors spontaneously lock and unlock at all the wrong times. It loses oil faster than a blown out tire on a turnpike--Tom has to carry oil with him at all times. The turn signals are on the fritz. And then there are the windshield wipers which have a rain sensor that automatically turns them on when rain is sensed on the windshield. This would be fine except they typically start and then won't work no matter how hard it is raining and the manual function does not work. But after getting stuck in heavy rain a few times, Tom figured out by trial and error, how to make them work. It's a complicated series of actions that have to be timed just right. None of this bothers Tom, who knows what most of the issues are but has no time to fix them. It does, however, bother me.
Knowing this, Tom told me to take our other vehicle--the pick up truck. It's a Dodge Ram 4X4 with a cab that seats six that we use as a backup family car when the Sprinter is down and also for hauling large items and materials. I had forgotten all about it since it was parked up the alley at the other house Tom recently purchased (debt-free) as a rental property. Though his work was calling, Tom walked up the alley with us to make sure the truck would start since it had been sitting for awhile.
He put my keys in and it started---on the second try. But at least it started. And I was relieved not to have to drive his car. So we waved good-bye and Tom walked back up the alley with the older children while I buckled in the two youngest. Finally we were on our way to Wal-Mart and Tom could get back to work--no problem! I settled into the driver's seat and pressed the brake to shift gears. Hmmmm. A slight whooshing sound and the pedal went all the way to the floor. Not good. I glanced down to see both the brake and ABS lights on. Sigh.
No problem. After breaking the bad news to Tom, I would take the dive and drive his car. So I unbuckled the children and we walked back up the alley. Of course Tom was surprised to see me right on his heels and I soon saw the face of a dragon slayer who had just killed two dragons and now saw ten more coming. He offered to run to Wal-Mart for me since he knew I was dreading driving his car. But I insisted he get as much work in as possible since the work day was almost gone.
Then it started to rain.
So it was settled. Tom would go to Wal-Mart since I don't know the secret handshake for the windshield wipers. And while he was out he could purchase a new battery for the Sprinter. I had to laugh! This can seem so typical for us. Life wouldn't be life if several things didn't go awry at once. But there is security in knowing that the Lord is sovereign over all things. He was so gracious to let the battery die right here at home and not out on the road somewhere.
When Tom returned, he installed the new battery with his usual audience anxiously watching to see if it would come to life.
It did! And amid all the whooping and cheering from the children, we heard our oldest son say, "Wow! This is the first time Dad fixed the car in one day!"
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