We were traveling on Interstate 75, driving from Florida, through Atlanta, on our way to Tennessee to surprise our grandson, Brad Zelenak. Brad was going to be performing his original musical compositions on the Rock Bottom Brewery Rooftop, 111 Broadway, downtown Nashville at 7:00 pm.
We were in the HOV lanes all the way through Atlanta, and we were making great time. We were going to make it.
Although we have made that trip dozens of times, we somehow accidentally ended up on Interstate 85.
Darn!
Traffic slowed to a crawl… A pungent odor waffled into the car. We realized it was our car. A look revealed a redish fluid all over everything under the hood. The temperature gage did not register high and the engine did not seem hot, so we merged back into traffic heading onto the 285 bypass, now going w-a-y east of the city.
It was difficult not to kick ourselves for the navigational error as we watched the clock. Time was crucial if we were going to make it to hear Brad. Just before 285 was to merge back into I-75 North, we experienced another traffic slowdown. This time, steam spewed out from under our hood!
We no choice: we had to see what was going on. We took the next exit with heavy hearts.
The road we were on came to a T and we went left. On the left, we saw a body shop, and pulled in. “I have some kind of liquid spewing out under the hood. Can somebody take a look and tell me what is going on?” my husband asked.
“We don’t do any mechanical work at all, but right next door is the best mechanic in Georgia.”
He motioned to the adjacent building, and was talking about Robert, at Canton Road Muffler & Automotive Center in Marietta, Georgia.
I choked back tears as my husband told Robert we were trying to get to Nashville to hear our grandson perform.
“If I order this part from Chrysler, it will not be delivered until tomorrow. I have made this part before. I can get you back on the road. You’ll make it to hear him….”
Robert said he sings, too, and that he would be performing in his church on Sunday.
I spoke aloud the gospel truth: “We thought we had gotten lost, but we know now we had help finding you!”
We were being guided even while thinking we had made a wrong turn and were lost. Brings to mind everything that is going on in the world, doesn’t it…
We walked into the room just as Brad was ready to sing. Love you, Brad Zelenak!
