Tire in the Ditch

After enjoying our soba/ tsukemono lunch with Shiho, we headed out into the country to take a birthday gift to Grandpa Sugawara- a less active member in the branch that lived out in the country.  It was a beautiful drive, but I had a strange sense of foreboding the whole day.  I just felt insecure with all of the rain- recognizing the water all around the roads in Japan.

When we got to their home, Ken started to pull into their makeshift driveway.  Japan has open ditches everywhere- mostly alongside the roads.  People put pieces of wood or metal or concrete over the ditches to create driveways.  As he pulled in, I suggested we might want to back in or just stay on the side instead.  It is Japanese custom for people to come out when you leave and watch you pull away and bow to you.  It is always a bit less awkward if you can just pull away and not have to back and turn, with them bowing the whole time.  It was especially difficult to do so in the Sugawara driveway.  We had been there many times.

So, Ken backed and approached again.  But he couldn't see on my side of the car (remember the passenger side is the left side) and missed the "driveway."  Just as I screamed, "There's a ditch!" the tire thunked into the ditch.  We were stuck.

Yep.  We're stuck. The back right tire was up in the air a bit.  Not good.

It is times like these that we display our true characters.  Ken calmly helped me out of the car and over the ditch.  Then he stood there and thought for a few minutes and we discussed what to do. He then calmly went into action.  He attached the car jack right behind the left front tire.  Strattling the ditch, he jacked the car to its maximum height.

It was hard work using the jack while strattling the ditch.  While he was working, a postman came on his scooter to deliver the mail.  Though he wasn't a lot of help, he refused to leave until we were safely out of the ditch.

I found a concrete block in a nearby shed.  Ken put that down in the ditch (it was heavy!), then found boards to put on top.  The concrete block reinforced the rather flimsy boards.  We hoped they would support the weight of the car.

He then had me sit in the back right seat to lower that tire.  He gunned the car.  It was barely high enough for the tire to clear the board and get onto the concrete. I can't even begin to tell you what a great feeling that was when the tire grabbed the board, then the concrete.  Blessed relief!  A half-inch lower and it wouldn't have worked!  We were blessed that day.  It was another harrowing experience, but we truly did feel blessed to get out with no damage to the car or to us.  We simply put the boards back and Ken hefted the concrete block out of the ditch and put it back in the shed.  We got the gift for Brother Sugawara out of the back seat, and made our visit- singing happy birthday like nothing had happened..  The Sugawaras never knew!  A couple of months before this, we happened onto a car in this same predicament.  It was in town, near the church.  Ken and many others helped the lady who was stuck.  Working together, they lifted the car out and she went on her way.  But we were out in the country and only the postman saw our predicament (good for embarrassment, but bad because there was no one to help)  But I'm sure this happens often with all of the open ditches.  It is one of the things about Japan that really bothered me.  I can't imagine raising children in that kind of environment.  I commented on it often as we would drive. "Why don't they cover all of these ditches? They are a real safety hazard."  I didn't know we would end up in one!  But we are grateful it wasn't worse and that we could get our car out.  We are grateful for inspiration on what to do, and for Ken's physical health to complete the very difficult tasks.  We know we were helped and blessed.