We’re home safe after many miles on the road. It wasn’t easy and the trip got pretty stressful. In Toronto, the check engine light came on, the heater died, and warning lights in the dash lit up: cruise control flashed, the slipping icon came on, and most worrying, the low coolant signal beamed emergency red.

My first thought was not: Shit, how much is this going to cost me? My first thought was: We’re still 2.5 hours from home on Christmas night at 10 p.m.

We stopped at a gas station, consulted the manual and bought coolant. The reserve was low but it was difficult to determine if there was a leak. Generally, I consider anything that goes on under the hood none of my business. Could be machinery that makes it go, could be squirrels spinning little wheels. Was it safe to get on the 401 at night?

Standing there trying to assess our next move, a knowledgeable fellow stopped and asked if he could help. Delroy knew what to do to assess the problem. The heat came back on (thank God) as he inspected our hoses and thought it through. He assured us that we’d probably be fine and the car should get us all the way home. The coolant did not appear to be leaking (or at least not fast enough to be a worry.) The instrument panel was still lit with warnings but with the heat on and the coolant light extinguished, it looked like we wouldn’t be marooned by the side of the road.

He probably spent 15 minutes with us as the engine ran, just to be sure. All I had on me was $10. Delroy wouldn’t take it. “This is what I do. I help people on the road with their cars,” he said. We thanked him profusely but before we got back on the road, he stopped us. “If you run into trouble on the road, call me. I’ll drive you all the way to London, no problem.” He gave us his number and waved goodbye.

Folks, I often write some pretty dark and edgy stuff. I often have a dim view of humanity and our collective future. Despite all that, I want to assure you that the Earth needs some coolant, too, but it is worth saving. Delroy lives here. Not everyone is a monster. Some even go above and beyond and are extraordinarily kind.

It’s past midnight. I’ll send Delroy a text tomorrow to thank him again and to let him know we made it home safe.

Now that we’re all home safe I am worried: Shit, how much is this going to cost me? However, I feel a little better knowing guys like Delroy are out there helping out where they can.

~ This post recently appeared in my private Facebook group for fans of my work. I often share snippets from works in progress and members of the Inner Circle get the first heads up about new stuff coming out. To join us, click Fans of Robert Chazz Chute here.

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~ Robert