토요일에 있었던 일.
퇴근길에 차에 빨간 온도계 등이 들어왔다.
길 옆에 차를 세워두고 카센터에 전화를 했다.
토요일인데도 다행히 문을 열었다.
카센터 사장님은 한숨을 푹 쉬었다. 큰 문제가 생긴 것 같다고 했다.
아무래도 냉각수에 문제가 있는 듯 하니, 차를 세워두고 조금 식혔다가 냉각수를 넣어보라는 것이었다.
그 다음에 자신의 카센터로 차를 가지고 오라고 했다.
본네트도 제대로 못여는 나는, 바로 옆에서 잔디를 깎던 청년에게 부탁을 하여 본네트 문을 열고 냉각수 뚜껑을 찾았다. 그 청년의 어머니가 차가운 물과 손을 닦을 수건까지 내게 주었다. 정말로 고마운 일이었다.
차가 식혀질 때 즈음, 차가운 물을 집어 넣으려고 하는데 물이 들어가지지 않았다.
그럼 냉각수 문제가 아니다.
다시 카센터로 전화를 했다.
견인을 불러야 한다고 했다. 엔진이 손상이 된 것 같다고 했다.
견인 차량을 호출하는 로드 서비스를 가입하지 않았던 나는 바로 운전해 가겠다고 했다.
카센터에서는 너무 위험하다고 했다. 차가 완전히 망가질텐데요, 라고 했다.
그 카센터까지는 18킬로미터 정도 되었고, 그나마 빠른 길은 고속도로를 이용하는 것이었다.
문제는 고속도로에서였다.
차가 울컥울컥하더니 멈췄다.
일부러 바깥 차선으로 천천히 운전하여서 멈추는 순간에 갓길에 댈 수 있었다.
날씨는 30도를 넘어가지, 차들은 쌩쌩 달리지, 갓길은 너무 좁아서 위험하지 모든 것들이 정신을 빠지게 하는 순간들이었다.
다시 전화를 했다. 지금 시동을 걸면 어떻게 되느냐고.
엔진이 과열되서 불날 것 같은데, 거기서 견인을 부르라고 한다.
전화를 끊고, 한 숨을 좀 쉬고, 다시 운전을 했다.
차에서 타는 냄새가 났다. 어쩌겠는가. 그저 정비소까지 차가 터지지 않길 바랐다. 내가 죽지 않기를 바랐다. 오늘 저녁에 집에 가서 식사를 하기를 바랐다. 입이 바짝바짝 탔다.
15분이면 갈 거리를 천천히 차를 운전하여 정비소에 도착하였다.
몸에 모든 기운이 빠져서 차에서 말 그대로 기어 나왔다.
어차피 문 닫고도 훨씬 지난 시간이라, 차는 그대로 거기에 두고 기차를 타고 집으로 왔다.
생각하면 아찔한 상황이었는데 정말 도와주는 사람들이 아니었으면 나는 어떻게 될 지 모르겠다.
집에 오는 길이 너무 감사했다.
딸에게 일어난 일에 대해서 이야기하니,
정말? 괜찮아? 그러고 나서
자기 방에 큰 나방이 들어왔다고 하소연하는 것이었다.
나는 괜시리 딸이 원망스러워서 ‘철 좀 들어라’ 했는데…
오늘 다시 생각해보면,
나는 왜 그렇게 오래되고 장난감같은 차를 타면서 이런 일들을 만들어냈는가.
애시당초 좋은 차를 타고 그런 차를 살 능력을 잘 키웠더라면 이렇게 사람들을 원망하거나 폐를 끼치는 일이 없었을 텐데.
스스로 너무 극한까지 몰아가게 상황을 만들어놓고 주변을 탓하는 것은 아닌지,
그런 생각이 들었다.
한편으로는 내 호주 생활을 견디게 해준 고마운 차였는데 말이다.
What Happened on Saturday
On my way home from work on Saturday, the red temperature warning light came on.
I pulled over to the side of the road and called a mechanic. Luckily, the workshop was open even though it was Saturday.
The mechanic let out a deep sigh. He said it sounded like a serious problem. He suspected something was wrong with the cooling system, so he told me to pull over, let the car cool down for a while, and then try adding some coolant. After that, he said, I should bring the car to his workshop.
I couldn't even open the bonnet properly, so I asked a young man who was mowing the lawn nearby to help me. He opened the bonnet, and together we found the coolant reservoir cap. His mother even brought me some cold water and a towel to wipe my hands with. I was genuinely grateful for their kindness.
When the car had cooled down, I tried to pour in the water, but it wouldn't go in.
That meant the problem probably wasn't just a lack of coolant.
I called the mechanic again.
He told me I needed to get the car towed. He suspected the engine had already been damaged.
I didn't have roadside assistance that included towing, so I told him I would just drive the car to his workshop.
He said it was far too dangerous.
"You're going to destroy the car completely if you do that," he warned me.
His workshop was about 18 kilometres away, and the quickest route was via the motorway.
That's when things got really bad.
The car started jerking violently before coming to a complete stop.
Fortunately, I had deliberately been driving slowly in the outside lane, so I managed to pull onto the shoulder just as the car stopped.
The temperature was over 30 degrees. Cars were flying past at high speed, and the shoulder was so narrow that I felt dangerously exposed. Everything about the situation was overwhelming.
I called the mechanic again and asked what would happen if I tried starting the engine now.
He said the engine was overheating so badly that it could catch fire, and told me to call for a tow truck from where I was.
I hung up, took a deep breath, and started driving again.
There was a burning smell coming from the car. What else could I do? All I could do was hope the car wouldn't blow up before I reached the workshop. I hoped I wouldn't die. I hoped I would make it home in time to have dinner that evening.
My mouth was so dry.
A journey that should have taken about 15 minutes turned into a slow, agonising drive. Eventually, I made it to the workshop.
I was so physically and emotionally drained that I literally crawled out of the car.
It was well past closing time anyway, so I left the car there and caught the train home.
Looking back, the whole experience was terrifying. I don't know what would have happened to me if those kind people hadn't helped me along the way.
As I made my way home, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
When I told my daughter what had happened, she said, "Really? Are you okay?"
And then, without missing a beat, she started complaining about a huge moth that had flown into her room.
For some reason, I felt resentful and snapped at her, "Grow up!"
But thinking about it again today, I find myself asking a different set of questions.
Why had I put myself through all this by driving such an old, toy-like car?
Perhaps I need to ask myself whether I've been pushing myself too far, creating situations that leave me feeling helpless, and then resenting the circumstances or the people around me.
Perhaps there's something I need to take responsibility for.
And yet, this was the same little car that had faithfully carried me through so much of my life in Australia.
For all its faults, it had been there for me when I needed it.
And for that, I was grateful, too.
