My Wheels

This post is being written after only taking 1.5 hours to get home in what should take about 30 minutes going the speed limit. I was at Brian's apartment and it was time for me to go home. He gave me a bit longer route to get to his house to avoid some hillwork, but going back home I would be going downhill so there shouldn't have been any problems.

He told me to take my first right at lights. I did, I immediately came to a fork in the road which only led me to believe that maybe I had gone the wrong way. I decided to veer left because right seemed like it would only logically take me back towards his apartment. I go about a minute or two in and then there is no electricity. In addition, the road becomes more of stones and the fence dividing the road from the river, also disappears. I decide, this can't be right. I can't see a thing ahead of me and if I need to turn around, I'll need to back all the way out. Not happening. I decide to back out where I was. I reach a cemetary to turn around in - so I back in. Oops, bad idea. I backed into a hill of a cemetary. So, right behind me are a bunch of dead graves and right in front of me was a river. I felt like a rabbit who is backing away from the fox and then backs right into the foxes brother. I think to myself: (not what a wonderful world) - ok, I could practice my half clutch here - but if i fail - i am ruining someone's gravestones - and the graves here are much different than home - and it would probably cost me alot of money to replace. If I overdrive my car, I'm in the river - dead. I think well, what can I do? I'm in the middle of the dark. I get out, decide that it's a sign from God that I am in a cemetary. Clearly, he is telling me not to try to get out of the rut that I'm in.

Now, we reach that part of the book where you have to make a decision
Decision one: Maybe try it anyways
Decision two: walk back to Brians, but if I do that, I'll have to call my supervisor and tell him what happened (which would be very, very bad)
Decision three: walk to a gas station and see if someone there can help me
Decision four: knock on someone's door

I was going to go with decision three - but I couldn't see any gas stations nearby
I went with decision four. I knocked on someone's door that had a light on - and a tv on. No answer. Knock to the next house with a light on - and that has a truck in his driveway that is only driven manually. Women speaks to me through the door. I try telling her I don't speak Japanese, that I am an English teacher in Monou and that I need help with my car. She keeps talking back to me...her husband comes. He won't answer the door either - I realize this is a lost cause. Go back to house one and knock again. No luck. I go back to my car - decide that decision one is probably my third worst choice. I see a house across the street that is still lit up and looks large. I decide that is my next destination. I ring the doorbell, the intercom comes on - I explain my situation as best as I can in Japanese. A woman then comes on. I explain it is only me out there. They open the door, see me, and then just immediately tell me to come in. I use my dictionary, pictures and gestures. They get the point. We drive to my car - the man is digging me out of the ditch and then the police come. (Probably the neighbors that wouldn't help me that called). The man and woman explain my situation to them - the one officer has sommmeee sukushi limited English ability. I explain how I made a wrong turn and what now.

I am now following the police car back to Monou. I did fine - I only stalled out twice in front of them. Haha. I got one of their business cards, and they told me to practice driving my car and that to call them if I ever need any help.

That's my story. I bet you wish you had death defying nights like me. Not. Ok, so if my supervisor finds out (which he probably will) - this will be bad, bad, bad news. Otherwise, I hope I can laugh at it in the future. I hope atleast, my story made you laugh. The only reason why I am writing it.