Pressed on the emergency button and got down the car. The guy got down too and we were inspecting the damage. His cab just lost the 'H' on the number plate. Jazzy? Not that bad...but I still feel the pain. I've heard a lot of stories from my mum and sister about them getting into accidents and how they deal with the other person. But at that moment, I really don't know what to say. So, I asked him "So how? Are you going to pay me?" Straightforward and to the point. He looked like he was thinking deeply and didn't answer me at first. Then he said, "50 can or not?" In shock, I replied, "Are you serious? Look at this, (pointing to the sensor) this is obviously gone! (I remembered about how my sister crashed at the same spot and apparently car sensors are very sensitive)" He looked pretty frustrated then he asked me again, this time in Cantonese, "50 can or not?" Then I finally understood that he didn't understand a single thing I said from the beginning. Right, from then onwards, I talked with him in Cantonese. Bless my grandma's soul for teaching me Cantonese.
The cab passenger got down and asked if he should get another cab while we deal with this. I think he's American and was dressed rather professionally. I was half hoping that he was rushing in time, so he would pay me instead and in large amounts too. Yeah, that didn't happen. The cabbie in desperation asked me to follow him to KL Sentral while he dropped his customer off. I agreed and got back in the car. The whole trip there, I was so afraid that he would trick me and speed off. I jot down his car plate number and handphone number.
The passenger gave me a meaningful look when he was dropped off. The look kinda says, "Poor you" or it could mean "Poor me" Anyway, the cabbie signaled me to follow him. We parked at the side of the road and continue dealing with it. To cut things short, he called his sister and she gave me directions to go to this car workshop all the way in Damansara Utama. I had no idea where it was. I only knew how to go to Eastin Hotel. Beyond that, it's slightly blurry but bless Carmen's soul for bringing me to her house in Tropicana a couple of times.
Yeah, like my usual self, I got lost a couple of times. I crashed at 4.30pm, Left KL Sentral at 5.30pm and arrived at the destination at 6.50pm. To spare you the pain, I will only say that there was a lot of calling for directions, getting honked at and traffic jam. Called my brother to inform him about this. He scolded me, saying how unlucky I am. Then I said I'll call him back later.
The person at the workshop gave me directions to this other workshop which I was supposed to arrive at 6pm. He clearly asked me to wait at the first Shell station I see. I gave him my number and he said he'll call me. So, I waited there...for an hour. I told myself that I was gonna call back the cabbie's sister to reconfirm to which I later learn her name was Shereen but I saved her number as 'Sista'. I waited for 30 minutes and I still hadn't called, maybe I was afraid of interrupting her and I tried to convince myself that they'll call me soon enough. Soon, images of them tricking me to come all the way to Damansara so they can run off, came into my head. Then I persuaded myself that if it was like that, then they wouldn't have went through the hassle at all. Shereen called me, asking if I have transport home. I said I'm still waiting at the Shell station. She was shocked and told me that she'll call the workshop people to ask. Called me back later to tell me that it was a miscommunication. They thought that I was going to go there on another day...but what other day? Yeah, I don't know. I didn't even have the workshop's number. I prayed in the car that this whole thing will just end. I will be healthy again, everything will be okay. I told God that I'm tired and can't take this anymore. He heard me.
So, Shereen sent a guy to guide me back to the first workshop so they can keep my car and fix it tomorrow. It was 8.30pm, I was sick with cough, flu and just recovered from fever yesterday. I was waiting for Shereen to send me to 1 Utama where my brother's waiting for me. Everytime I cough, I feel my left lung is going to collapse. Worst cough ever. It didn't help that when I was having fever yesterday, I still went to college because my lecturer won't let me go home.
Anyhow, I tried imagining how Shereen actually looks like through all that phone calls. I imagined her to be motherly and slightly plump. Not stereotyping here, but plump ladies give me this happy, protective, motherly image. I was right. She kinda looks like Lillian Too. With the finely plucked eyebrows and Chinese look. I got into her Altis and she was listening to Fly fm. Woah!
I called my brother to pick me up to which he was kinda reluctant so, I offered to take the train home. He came to pick me up anyway. Hah! I know he's a loving brother behind that thick computer-player shell.
During the whole ride, Shereen was lecturing me like a mother. She said I shouldn't trust people so easily that I'm lucky to have met people like them. Next time when I meet with an accident again (touch wood), I should call for help from family members or friends, preferably male. I shouldn't put my car overnight at some unknown car workshop with some unknown people who just crashed my car. There are a lot of dangerous cases in newspapers these days. I shouldn't put my laptop in the car, should take it everywhere I go. She asked about my name, where I study, how old I am, where do I live..we had a nice little talk.
While waiting for my brother to come, we waited at her sister in-law's shop and I felt as though she just let me into her life. She's a nice lady, no doubt. I think she was nice to me because she has a daughter which surprisingly studies at HELP too. I felt like helping them in the shop but I know that they'll just refuse.
My brother came and she sent me to meet him so at least my brother knows that he can trust them. The trip home was quiet but nice. When I told my brother the whole thing, I laughed at his comment when I mentioned about how Shereen lectured me. He said, "Oh! She's a lecturer?"
I had a long, long day. I skipped the Thanksgiving dinner because I was sick and needed rest so I left college at 4.30pm. In the end, I was still sick but didn't get any rest till 10pm. Things life throws at you is amazing. Maybe this is God teaching me not to trust people so easily. I'm just thankful that the car that crashed into mine belongs to a nice person. How great is it that all this happened during Thanksgiving? I guess we can always find something to be thankful for even through bad times.
