Thrissur is home place. So no doubt about where I am going. This yesterday I was heading to the Railway Station to put my dear ones in the train to Chennai. So I was relaxed and at the entrance of the Station had a hunch to have a cup of tea with all. The place and time was perfect. It was evening before dark. Had thirty five minutes for the train. So I took a U-turn on the road and in the turn entered a shop mall courtyard to complete the turn. There was a shining object at the edge and that was under my front right tyre which was uneventful...! Or was it.? Whatever! We brought the car to the near by way side motor cycle repair shop to park it there. On request the shop owner kindly agreed to allow my car to be parked there! That was really kind of him. Relieved we moved to the tea shop for a fantastic cup of tea and an urad vada., which too was delicious.
With a relaxed gait we walked back to the car to see my front right down and the tyre was dead under the wheel. My heart sank.! Now I cannot take it to the Railway Station parking. Instead have to change the tyre or get somebody to do it. There was no time to go for calling somebody now. The best option was to change it myself how so ever difficult it was. I had practised the change a couple of times earlier in difficult conditions with the limited resources of the changing levers the company had provided while buying the car along with the little car jack. I had also noticed the correct position for placing the jack.
I instructed my dear ones of the option available all of them cooperated. The back dicky was opened and I took out the levers and pins to open up the flat tyre. The motor cycle shop owner seeing the whole thing came out to help open up the nuts. He did two and I did two. Then was lifting the tyre on the jack. A young gentleman came out of the nearby hotel to help out on turning the lever to lift the jack. That was angelic of him to have done that. He took leave once the jack was up and the tyre was loosened.
There after I took out the steppny tyre and inter-changed them. As I loosened the jack to bring down the car on the wheel the new changed tyre was seen lacking in air as it had not been filled for quite some time as it was cumbersome to filling it in usual fillings. Now, it was pay up. But a quick idea flashed in my mind. I can drop my people to the Station near by. To that extend the tyre will hold. My motor cycle repair shop owner told me that in the opposite directions close by there is a tyre repair shop who have air too. However, I took, the first route to put the people into the Railway Station. We had ten minutes in hand. Straight away I drove into the station with the luggage of my family and they followed on foot, lest the changed tyre gave in! And the station was near by. Once they walked up I removed their luggage and left them to embark the train and left for the tyre shop.
The shop was farther than I thought. The guide had told me the shop was near ...by the car..standards! Never mind! The repair wala quickly brought out his air hose and was trying to fill. But in the hurry, I had put the plastic plate in the wrong way covering the air valve tube. The repair man was unfazed! He just pulled out the plastic cover at the side of the valve and I held it pulled for him, so that he could fill it. He did a good job by filling all the four tyres! I was humbled their quick help and understanding. The shop owner also checked my punched tyre. It had a good punch whole to which something has gone in but no nail or anything was found. The air was seen freely going. The shop owner said it can't be repaired with his normal rubber pieces as that may not hold. He said it would be a good idea if the valve is pulled out and the tubeless tyre is used as a normal tyre putting a tube inside. On considering the fact my tyre itself is near a change for new ones I declined and decided to run without it for the time being.
Then came the call from my family saying the train is twenty four minutes late. That was the exact time I needed for all these works. I drove into the Station. Went in and helped them to board the train. The drive back was uneventful. That was a good rejuvenating experience. But a little tiring, indeed!
