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The snow fell silently as traffic moved slowly along the darkened road. Wally stared at the tail lights ahead of him as he let his mind wander. The evening commute had become so routine and common he rarely spent the time concentrating on the traffic as he should. Suddenly the brake lights of the car ahead jarred him from his stupor and he slammed on the brakes to avoid rear-ending the fancy Cadillac ahead of him.
There, on the side of the road, he saw the reason for the sudden stop. An old Chevy Nova was pulled over, its lights flashing as a couple stood by the open hood. Wally never stopped for these small calamities, after all the police would be along shortly and they would take care of everything. But something was different this evening. He couldn’t exactly say what it was. Maybe it was that he had a Nova when he was younger and knew a thing or two about how to fix it, or maybe it was just the snow and the cold. For whatever reason Wally decided to pull over and see if he could be of some help. As he passed the car he pulled slowly onto the shoulder and turned on his flashers. Leaving the engine running he got out and walked back to the couple.
“Good evening folks, is there anything I can do to help?” Wally asked as he got close enough to recognize two very young faces huddled together for warmth. The young man turned towards him, held out his hand and said, “it just died.” Wally’s first thought was it was probably the electrical system and the alternator. Looking under the hood he could see very little in the dark, so he excused himself and went back to his car to get his flashlight and a small tool bag.
As he was walking he called his wife and explained what was going on, telling her he would be late but would let her know how things were going. She, of course, chided him for stopping for strangers and cautioned him about how so many were robbed in these types of situations. He assured her he would be careful, and that everything was okay. It seemed a sad testament to the times we lived in.
When he got back to the Nova he saw the two were still huddled together. On closer examination, he also saw they were lightly dressed and seemed ill-prepared for this cold weather. As he turned on the flashlight he chatted with them. “Hi, my name is Wally, what’s yours?” The man said his name was Jules, and his wife was Martine. “Seems like a cold night and your coats are hardly keeping you warm, do you have anything else to put on? By the way, where are you headed to?”
Jules answered and said they were headed to his parent’s home in eastern Pennsylvania. They had eloped and gotten married in Ohio and were returning home to tell his father. Wally did a quick calculation, it was at least another three-hour drive in this storm and he doubted the Nova would get them there, assuming he could get it started at all. As he bent over the engine he started troubleshooting the most obvious areas. Were the battery cables secure? The terminals were covered in corrosion – so he loosened them and scraped them clean. He ran back to his car for the coke he had been sipping. While he was there he grabbed the emergency blanket he kept with his tools.
As he got back to the Nova he handed the blanket to Jules and Martine, who quickly wrapped it around themselves. He then poured the coke on the terminals to help clean off the corrosion. He reattached the cables.
Next, he looked for loose fittings on the alternator. They seemed okay. Getting to the spark plug cables was pretty much out of the question, at least here, with these tools and this weather. Finally, he checked the fuse box. He had never really seen a fuse blow on his old Nova, but it was a place to check. There it was the engine fuse had in fact blown. “Oh great,” he thought. This could be a result of the age of the car, or it could be something else. “Well we’ll never know unless we replace it and try and start the car,” he said mostly to himself.
He pulled the old fuse out, stuck it in his pocket, and slipped a new one into its place. He turned to Jules and said, “I’m not sure if this will work but get in and try starting it up.”
Jules moved quickly and after a few cranks, the car did, in fact, fire up. “Is the heater working?” Wally asked? Jules shook his head no, it didn’t seem to be getting warm. “Well, the engine may still be cold. Martine, why don’t you jump in there and get out of this snow,” Wally said.
As they waited, Wally called his wife and explained the situation. He said he would be bringing the couple home since it didn’t seem like they would be safe on the road this evening and he could troubleshoot the car much better in the garage. His wife agreed that this was not a good night for a young couple to be on the road. She would add a couple of plates to the dinner table and make up the spare room.
When he hung up he closed the hood and went to the driver’s door. Jules said it still didn’t look like the heater was working, and Wally could see from their breath he was right. So, he told them he lived about 10-minutes away and said they should stay with him tonight. He asked if they had cell phones, and of course, they did, so he gave them his number and address and suggested they call their parents and let them know what was happening.
He then suggested Martine ride with him since his car was warm and Jules could follow in the Nova. He would go slow to make sure they were together, and if Jules had a problem he should flash his lights or honk. The horn did work, didn’t it? With a press, Jules confirmed it did.
Getting back to his car, he saw a break in the traffic and signaled to come out. Jules did the same and they were back on the road. Wally drove carefully, making sure the Nova was behind him. As promised they pulled into the lane his home was on about 10 minutes after starting. As they pulled into the driveway the Nova gave up the ghost again and couldn’t make it past the mailbox.
Wally stopped, got out and helped Jules hook up the tow strap Wally kept in the trunk, and they pulled car the last 100 yards up to the house.
There on the porch was Wally’s wife, Maureen, waiting for them.
Wally told them to grab whatever they needed from the Nova and they would sort out the cars in the morning. Once they had their small backpacks, they headed up the steps and into a warm house that was all ready for Christmas which was only a couple of days away.
As they entered the house Wally could smell the soup steeping on the stove, and the air had a hint of cinnamon and apple. That could only mean an apple pie was cooking in the oven, or cooling on the counter.
Wally introduced Jules and Martine, and Maureen went into full “Mother Hen” mode. “Okay now, let’s get those wet coats off of you. My gracious you are soaked to the bone and chilled to your core. Wally, this will never do. Go up to Tom’s room and look in his dresser, I know there are clean sweats up there just waiting to use. Jules, you follow Wally and let’s get you into some warm clothes before we do one thing more. I’ll take care of Martine, now get moving you two!”
With those commands, Wally, followed by a sheepish Jules, headed upstairs to the bedrooms. At the top of the steps, Wally pointed out the bath and the bedroom he and Martine could use. Jules tossed their backpacks into the corner as Wally turned on the lights and headed to the dresser to find the fresh clothing. “Won’t your son mind me taking his room?” Jules asked. Wally turned with clean sweatshirt and pants and said only, “No Tom won’t mind. He hasn’t been here for quite a while.” “You can change and freshen up in the bathroom. I’ll meet you downstairs when you are done.” With that Wally left the room, closing the door softly behind him as he went.
Jules was left to look around as he changed. The sweats were a size or two too big but they would serve their purpose. He was glad to get out of the wet cloths. It looked like Tom was away in college from the appearance of the room, and Jules wondered if he would be home soon. Taking his small toilet kit, he headed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face and comb his hair.
Meanwhile, Maureen and Martine had hung up the coats and headed off to the Master bedroom to find some warm clothing and to freshen up. As petite as Martine was, Maureen just knew none of the things she had would fit her, but she did have an ace up her sleeve. The last time Tom had visited his girlfriend had left some clothing behind and she had carefully washed them and tucked them away for when she returned. Maureen thought they should be a reasonable fit, even with Martine’s unexpected condition. Wally hadn’t mentioned she was pregnant, but then again men, being men, rarely notice the important facts.
As Martine shrugged off her wet clothing, Maureen ran the shower to get it warm. “Dear, just jump in and wash off all that road grime. You can hand me your clothing and I’ll toss it in the washer. It won’t take but a few minutes to get them clean, fresh and dry. We can have dinner while they are washing. You just take your time and join me in the kitchen when you’re ready.” With that, Maureen gathered up the clothing, left the room, and headed to the laundry. Along the way she ran into Wally who was fixing himself a drink and asked if he had Jules all squared away. Wally said he did, and Maureen said, “well, where are his dirty clothes?” “Oh, right,” Wally replied. I’ll be right back.
As soon as the laundry was in the wash, Maureen and Wally were joined in the kitchen by the two wayfarers, looking remarkably more comfortable than when they first arrived at the home. Maureen took charge and directed Wally and Jules to set the table while she and Martine gathered up the food for supper. In two shakes of a dog’s tail, they were sitting around the table and the conversation turned to what brought Jules and Martine out on the road during this storm.
Jules cleared his throat as he began to explain how he and Martine had become friends and now husband and wife. Jules said his father ran a wood factory in eastern PA and had invited Jules to join him. Jules had been living in western Ohio where he had met Martine, who lived with her parents. They had known each other for only a few months, and Martine was already pregnant when they met. Her old boyfriend had bailed when she found she had a child growing in her.
Martine’s Mom and Dad weren’t all that thrilled with the relationship and refused to give their blessings for marriage, believing both were ill-prepared to handle the responsibilities. So, despite their objections, they decided it was best to make a fresh start by moving back to eastern Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the car didn’t seem to think a long trip was all that great an idea.
“Well, we’ll just see about that old car in the morning!” Maureen exclaimed, as she looked over to Wally, who nodded in agreement. “For now - it is supper time, Wally please say the blessing.” Giving thanks for their safety, and the food before them, he asked for the safe journeys for all those traveling this holiday season, ending in an Amen from all at the table.
Before them, the table was set with rich pumpkin soup, a fresh kale salad, a plate of ham slices, carrots, peas, and of course a bowl of mashed potatoes, along with rolls and butter. “It isn’t fancy,” Maureen offered “but it will sustain us and the new friendships will more than make up for any shortcomings in its elegance.” Of course, Jules and Martine loudly objected to this disclaimer but agreed wholeheartedly that Wally and Maureen were the answer to their prayer as they stood along that dark road just an hour or so earlier.
As they ate - the conversation turned to families. First, they began with what Jules’ father did with his woodworking business, and then what was Jules background and what he hoped to accomplish. Jules, it turned out, was actually a carpenter and had been working in an Amish plant building furniture. During the past couple of years, he had become quite good and thought he was now ready to return home to help his father and perhaps take over the business. The fact he had worked with the Amish was one of the concerns Martine’s parents had raised in the objections.
Eventually, the conversation came around to some family history on Wally and Maureen. Martine asked, “How long have you been married?” Maureen told them the story of how Jules and she had met in college and after dating for several years had married. Wally had served in the Air Force for a few years and was now a manager at a local plant that builds electronic components for the auto industry.
Jules asked if Tom was going to make it home for Christmas, and the table grew silent. Wally looked at Maureen, who with a slight nod indicated he should tell the story. “No Jules,” Wally said. “We lost Tom a year ago. He was on his way home from college when he and his girlfriend were struck by a tractor-trailer on the interstate. The weather was worse than it is right now, the roads were icy and a car ahead of them spun out. Tom hit the brakes, almost came to a stop without hitting the car in front, but the 18-wheeler jackknifed as it slid into to them. It was a horrible crash and neither survived.”
“This is our first year without him, and we weren’t sure we would celebrate Christmas at all, but there is something important about keeping our traditions alive, so we are going through the steps if only to help keep Tom alive for us.”
“Your arrival, as unfortunate as it may seem to you, is really a blessing for us. It gives us a moment to share the blessings we have with someone who could use a few blessings as they start their own journey.”
The table grew silent again as each considered the story. But within a moment or two, Maureen said, “Who’s ready for some coffee and Apple pie and maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream?”
After dessert and some light conversation to lift the mood, it was time for Jules and Martine to head upstairs to get some sleep after a stress filled day. Maureen and Wally settled into their easy chairs and put on a classic movie as they chatted about how remarkable the world was. Maureen asked if Wally could fix the car, and he said he really didn’t know, but tomorrow was Saturday and if he needed some parts the auto parts stores would be open. He’d worry about that tomorrow, but in the back of his mind, he knew even if the Nova couldn’t be brought back to life he had a plan to get the two home without too much of a delay.
Wally cherished the idea of sleeping in on Saturdays when there was no demand to face the morning commute to arrive at the plant at a certain time. But today was different, without disturbing Maureen he rolled out of bed when the sun was still an hour away from rising. He dressed quietly and headed to the kitchen to start the coffee maker. While it was brewing he grabbed his jacket and headed out to the driveway to push the old Nova into the garage where he could put some lights on and work in some relative comfort.
Once he got the car up on some jack stands he headed back in to get some coffee. He met Jules who was looking for a cup at the coffee maker. Together they poured their coffee and headed back to the garage. Jules was anxious to do what he could to help and get on the road again as quickly as possible. Before anything else, Wally talked to Jules about exactly how the car had died the first time. Once he was satisfied it was a rather sudden thing and realizing he’d been able to start it once he’d replaced a fuse he pulled out a cheap diagnostic checker to see if there were any codes that would help isolate the problem.
Unfortunately, there was nothing substantial other than a series of electrical failures, but not what was a likely common cause. He checked the fuse box and the engine fuse was again burned out. That could only mean there was a short somewhere. But where?
Time moved slowly as he and Jules went through all the possible causes for this short. Each time they thought they’d narrowed it down to a likely culprit they found their guess had been wrong. Right in the middle of their fourth or was it their fifth effort at troubleshooting Maureen stuck her head in the garage and told them both to clean up for breakfast.
As they entered the house they were surprised by the bright, almost blinding, sunlight streaming in the windows. It was a cold and clear beautiful winter morning. Maureen and Martine had the table set with an egg and sausage casserole, corn muffins, orange juice, and hot coffee. “You two wash up and we can eat, then you can get back to fixing that car, but we have a young lady who has been working her tail off to make you breakfast, now get your hands clean so we can eat.”
As they sat at the morning table, Wally again gave thanks and asked both Jules and Martine if they had anything they would like to offer. Martine went first and offered her thanks for people who would open their homes to strangers and provide shelter when the problems of the world seemed too overwhelming to fix. Jules echoed Martine’s thoughts and hoped they would soon find the problems with their car.
Wally assured them both they would be on the road today but didn’t tell them how he knew that.
With those thoughts, they dug into breakfast and enjoyed the conversation of new acquaintances who seemed like old friends, despite the differences in their ages.
As they finished Wally suggested that perhaps Jules and Martine should take a walk to enjoy the fresh morning and the snow-covered landscape. They would get back to work on the car once the morning dishes were done.
As they put on their jackets and set out on the back porch, Wally and Maureen began to clear the plates. Once they were alone Wally looked at Maureen and said. “Honey, I would like to loan them the ‘68 GTO to get home with, and give me some time to fix this old Nova so it is a safe car for their family.” Maureen stared at Wally as if he had lost his mind. “Hear me out on this. I know it was the car Tom and I had been working on and was going to be his Graduation present, but Tom is gone and I know he would want more than it to sit gathering dust in the shed. I finished the restoration last August, it’s been registered and insured, and I’ve run the engine every week to keep it serviceable. I can think of no better use than to loan it to these two, with their promise to bring it back in a couple of weeks to get their car.”
Maureen considered this, as well as the possibility they would never see these two again but in her heart, she knew these two were a couple who needed a break and would be back to get their car. She said, “Let me think about this for a bit. I don’t know what I would do if something was to happen to that car. You and Tom spent so much time working on it, he’s gone and this is about all that’s left.”
Wally nodded but said. “Tom will be in our hearts forever. The car, as important as it was to him is still just a thing. We have an opportunity to use that thing to make someone’s life just a little bit better. Please consider that as you think about it.”
With that, Wally headed back into the garage to keep working on the Nova. A few minutes later Jules came in and began asking how he could help.
Time passed far too quickly and the next thing Wally and Jules knew Martine was next to them telling them it was time for lunch. As they put down their tools and went to clean up Maureen followed Wally into the bath and closed the door.
“Wally, I’ve given this whole give them the car idea and I think after talking with Martine about what they want to do when they get to their new home I am good with letting them go in Tom’s car. Why don’t we talk about it at lunch and set up an agreement?”
“Okay” was Wally’s reply.
As they sat eating their lunch they watched the snow melting in the mid-day sun. Although it was still cold, the roads were quickly clearing, but Jules and Martine worried about how they would make to Jules’ home. That served as the perfect opportunity to bring up the idea of loaning them the ’68 GTO.
“Jules,” Wally “began can you drive a car with a manual transmission?” Everything he had planned hinged on this answer and it was only now that he realized that. Fortunately, Jules said he could, so that hurdle was crossed.
“I am not sure we can get that Nova sorted out today. It is going to take more troubleshooting than we have time for if you are to make it home before Christmas. Maureen and I have been talking and we would like to offer you and Martine an option.”
“We have a restored 1968 Pontiac GTO that is sitting gathering dust in our shed and are willing to loan it to you to make the trip home. The only thing we ask is you be gentle with it and come back to visit when you can, or when I get the problems with the Nova sorted out. The car is registered and insured so it is street legal, and I will write a contract authorizing you as a driver in case you are stopped, but I don’t think that will be a problem. What do you say?”
Jules and Martine said nothing, they could only stare at the other couple while they considered the magnitude of what they were offering almost perfect strangers.
Finally, Jules stood and said thank you as he embraced first Maureen and then Wally. With that Wally said they would need to get going now if they were to make it home before dark.
He and Jules headed to the shed to unwrap the Pontiac and get it fired up. It had almost a full tank, and Wally handed Jules a fifty for gas and snacks. As the engine warmed up Martine and Maureen joined them with the young couple’s backpacks.
With hugs all around the two kids said their goodbyes and got in the car. They slowly drove down the driveway with only a minor amount of jerking as Jules shifted from neutral to first and then second.
Wally and Maureen waved and called after them, “Safe journey and good luck in Bethlehem, call us when you get in.”
Postscript: It took Wally a solid day of troubleshooting but he eventually found the problem and got the Nova back into a running condition. Along the way. he took the opportunity to fix a few other things, and make sure the car was safe to drive for the young couple. A month after leaving three young faces appeared at Wally and Maureen’s door. There stood Jules, Martine and their new son Tom.
