The Kindness of Strangers

It was the middle of summer and very hot. The drive back from Arizona is a long drive, even more so when driven alone. I was in the middle of nowhere when my car started to make a noise. At first thought, I had imagined it, then I saw smoke billow out from under my hood and I knew I had better pull off the road. Immediately I turned off my car and I got out lifting the hood . It looked to be steaming from a hose. All I could do was sit there I was stranded.

Car after car drove past, an hour or more had gone by when finally a woman with her two young daughters had stopped. The woman said ordinarily she does not stop when she sees somebody broke down, but she noticed I was a woman and alone, so she stopped. I thanked her for her kindness and begin to explain that I was many miles from home with little to no money and it seems my car decided to break down on me. She then told me that she and husband along with their two daughters lived in the next town about twenty miles form there. She also said her husband has a garage and towing service in town and said he would tow my car back and look at it for me. I reminded her that I had very little money. She said not to worry that he would understand.

After I got in her car, I seen she was a soft-spoken woman in her late twenties with trusting blue eyes. She said her name was Linda then introduced her daughters. Tammy who was nine a looked just like her mother, and Frankie with bright red hair was seven. Linda said Frankie looked so much like her father she named her after him. I thought that was neat. They were very well mannered . We spent the while trip into town talking, they told me about the farm where they lived, and how each of them had a horse. I found the girls to be as kind as their mother. They even offered me to go riding with them. Of course, I told them that I would love to , but it probably would not be this time around.

Shortly after arriving in town I saw a sign that hung over a little shop ,it read “FRANKS GARAGE”. We pulled in and her husband greeted us at the gate. Linda introduced me to her husband Frank, and proceeded to tell him of my situation. HE said he was more than happy to help and that he would go pick up my car bring it back to his shop and look at it for me. I told him I had little money, he was sympatric to my situation and said I would owe them. It was then Linda invited me to help get dinner going while Frank retrieved my car. I did not want to be a bother I said, and she said nonsense that I would not be a bother, so I accepted. Linda told Frank that we would see him back at home, and with that, we had left.
It was the most beautiful little ranch I had ever seen. There was chickens, a cow, a dog, and of course, the horses the girls had told me about. As we drove up the drive Linda reminded the girls their chores needed to be done right away. We got out of the car I could see forever it seemed that. I followed Linda into the house. It was cozy and warm it felt like a home. Linda asked if I would like to freshen up?, and after which I found her in the kitchen. She had already been so kind I had to offer her my help with dinner, and together we prepared dinner. We have to know one another it was very nice to meet someone so kind. Linda called the girls in to wash up and to set the table for dinner.

Ten minutes later Frank had pulled up in the drive it was great timing for Linda and I was about to put dinner on the table. Frank came in kissed his wife and said he had good news for me, but he would like to wash up first. As we all sat down to the table, Linda asked Frank to say grace. While the was being passed around Frank announced that my car problem was not as bad as I thought and that I needed was a new radiator hose which he had at his garage, and after dinner him and I would go to the garage where it would take him ten minutes to fix. I was so pleased and grateful for their kindness. I told Linda I would not ever forget her kindness and asked how I could ever repay her for it. She simply replied come visit us some time. I had made a wonderful friend in Linda that day and until this day, I visit Linda and her family every summer.