My Son, My Hero

I Could Not Believe It Could Happen to Me…
I was on the way to fetch my son from his tuition class on a rainy night, when my car tire busted. It happened at about eight pm on the Damansara Road off the LDP. I was careless and accidently grazed the road kerb on the right causing the front tire of my Kelisa to cave in. I thought I could stop later, at some shop houses or service station when the dragging sound of the tire alerted me to the danger of veering out of control or worse, so the decision was made for me.

I parked a few meters away from a Durian roadside stall. The Durian seller thought he had a customer but when I asked if he could help, he assured me that he would once it stops raining.

Call for HELP!
I did what most people (who do not have the essential skills for emergencies like this) would do….call the Automobile Association of Malaysia or AAM. It was not easy to get connected to the toll-free number but when I finally managed it, the operator asked for the relevant details and location. Half an hour later, I called AAM to remind them again and was told that they will send someone soon.

Meanwhile, I made arrangements for my son to be fetched by a Taxi driver friend as my husband was away on a business trip. It was getting late, and it was still pouring incessantly and I was feeling quite frightened as there were now fewer cars on the road, so I called again to check whether AAM was able to provide the services or not and the operator reiterated that AAM will send help soon.

Shazmeer to the Rescue
A little later, my 16 year old arrived and we sat in the car while the rain persisted. I felt more comforted but tried AAM again. The usual answer came… “Someone will be there soon”. When the drizzle got milder, Shazmeer got out of the car, went over to the Durian Seller to ask for help to jack up the car.

Even though it was Shazmeer’s first time, within 15 minutes, he managed to change the tire, almost effortlessly. What a sight…needless to say, I was one proud Mama! The Durian man helped too. But Shazmeer’s accomplishments deserve a special mention. I hope he will always be proud of this moment.

I was Lucky…Thank God!
Just before we left, AAM called to ask for our location. I told them not to bother. …it was close to three hours since my first desperate call for help. What saddens me is that I was in dire need of help and sought the services of an organization which had promised to be “Your Number One Motoring Friend”. I shudder to think of some other lone women stranded perhaps on a less busy road waiting for help for that length of time. And if they are unlucky, we read about them in the news the day after.

AAM might be just a non-profit organization, but it cannot get away with sloppy services. We should always remain considerate Malaysians, but we should not tolerate slackers…