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CAUTION: This story may be a bit pun-ishing, but after all it’s just how eye roll.
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Heading toward Beaver Brook the Jeep Wrangler was perilously navigating the mountain terrain, the rain pouring down meant flash floods in these parts. Gully washer is what they call it, the rain on the soft top popped like you were in a Jiffy Pop Popcorn bag. The Jeep groaned and wined in four wheel drive low gear at no more than 2mph as the windshield wipers were no match for the down pour. It was a slippery treacherous mountain road for sure and to ad to the adventure you could hardly see.
Under the hood there was quite a rumble, arguing even firing off at one another comparing who was the most important under the hood. Cameron the camshaft lobed his complaint, “If I don’t give that Pushy Peter Pushrod a lift every millisecond nobody around here get’s to run on time. Plus, I do my rounds every moment we are running, never a break, not like that lazy, Sammy Starter he does his thing and he’s done. You guys would never have the power you have with out my lift.”
Cranky old Cramer Crankshaft, bellowed back. “Are you kidding me? If you want to talk lift, your little pip squeak lobes ain’t nothing to my Preston Piston pushin action. Why, if I go the whole Engine seizes. I crank out more work than anyone, especially, Sammy; his cranks are just for starters. I’m the main course around here.”
While the bickering went on under the hood the Jeep made it’s way to the bank of Beaver Brook. Jimmy the Jeeps driver swung the soft top door open to see the depth of the brook since he couldn’t see through the windshield. It looked safe enough, no more than 6 inches or so. Jimmy’s focus was if he would make it home that night, totally removed from the dispute under the hood.
“Hey man you need to stop blowing smoke.” Puffed Eduardo Exhaust pipe. “Let me share my manifold wisdom with you. Sammy spins his wheels for a few seconds and he’s es-cape…man, Exhausted.. It’s siesta time for Sammy; it’s always siesta time for Sammy… ah ha ha….
“You boys been hangin out in the hood so much you got it pulled over your eyes. If you are talking firepower no one moves around here without a little ignition. Without the arc of my spark you all will be forced to park. I can fire away all day not lay on the hay like old Sammy Starter hey, hey,” Sputtered Spider Sparkplug.
“Sammy, can run rings around you all”, defended Penelope Piston. “Why you boys stop your fumin before you blow a gasket.”
Arnold Alternator appeared shocked by all this as he responded with his snooty charges. “Obviously you ruffians aren’t wired for real work, you have no idea how to conduct yourselves. You Spider would have no fire if it weren’t for my flow of power. I believe I have grounds for being far above you all especially Sammy Starter he never keeps plugging away like the rest of us.
The words were hardly out of Arnold’s mouth when the water came crashing through the grille, “Cool it!” cried Randy Radiator. As the water poured through Randy it was filling the whole engine compartment. “I think we’re hosed dudes it looks like the whole reservoir is coming our way.”
Meanwhile, now Jimmy was feeling the water soaking his shoes and socks as it filled the floor boards of the Jeep. Jimmy gripped the wheel and tried to urge it forward.
The second rush of water came down the brook like a wall; the sound of the rain was now drowned out by the sound of wild river rapids. Again the water poured through the grill this time making its way to Ida intake, before she knew what was happening she took a big swallow. “I’m choking, I’m choking”, she cried as the water drowned out the engine stalling it for good.
With the next wave Jimmy knew he only had moments till the brook would be a death trap more water coming and Chigger falls less than a eighth mile away.
With the Engine Stalled water pouring in from every side Jimmy wondered should he stay belted in and drown and try to swim for it before he made the falls over 300 feet straight down to Beaver Valley.
That’s when his daddy’s words came through the noise and the fear. “Pray don’t Panic”.
Jimmy’s faith was stirred and he simply prayed, “Lord Help me, I don’t know what to do.”
No sooner did the prayer come out of his mouth then he remembered, “Since this is a manual transmission my Jeep will pull forward just using the starter.”
Jimmy pulled it down to granny low took his foot off the clutch and turned the key, wa, wa, wa, it was moving…
In spite of all this negativity, Bernie Battery remained positive. This was certainly the acid test he had trained for all his life. “We are in this war till we are discharged he cried”…
Sammy the starter was screaming, having been grounded and coiled for this kind of action, yet never having this kind of brush with death. wa, wa, wa, he kept turning with all he had..
Bernie the battery was giving shocking the whole group with his energy when Sammy seemed to be waining, wa…..wa….wa, was this all he had. Just then something turned.. Eduardo Exhaust stated shouting, “come on Sammy man I know you can do it”…
Followed by Cameron Camshaft, “yeah, Sammy you’re no amateur armature”…
Then the whole engine compartment started to Chant…”Crank it Sammy, Crank it Sammy!” Wa, Wa , WA…
Jimmy yelled, “just another couple feet and we’ll be up on the hill”.
Bernie and Sammy gave there last boost and the Jeep lurched up on to the Hillside escaping the oncoming eight foot wall of water ….
“We did it!” Sammy yelled
“No we didn’t do it Sammy”, Arnold protested, “You did it, you and Bernie the rest of us were useless once the engine stopped.”
Sammy smiled and said, “I know what you mean, that’s what I always thought. It was really hard back then when I was doing nothing,, idling and you guys were doing all the work. Then the one that designed us, The Great Engineer came to me when I was totally discouraged and I felt like I deserved the lazy names I was taunted with. He shared how we each had His amazing ingenuity designed and locked deep inside us and one day He would call on me to do something miraculous, something that only I could do because I had a little piece of Him inside me something that no one else had. He knew I could contribute that which no one else could as long as I reflected Him, His love, and His Strength, His design then my time came. He told me He had been preparing me all my life to reflect His marvelous design.”
“Yet the coolest thing The Great Engineer told me was that alone I wouldn’t be all He designed. He told me that I would need all of you all of your hopes and prayers and talents. He explained that the glorious beauty of His design would begin to take shape only when all of us reflected our special part. Then it would explode into a glory unimaginable when we could see what, He, The Great Engineer designed in each of us. So when I began to see what each of you could do, the thing that He designed, then I quit looking to compare myself with you but saw The Great Engineer I love. I saw His reflection in you. Then turning back to the Great Engineer to understand my role and not trying to be one of you guys. The moment you guys started to cheer for me I felt Him, the Great Engineer smile as His design saved Jimmy.” Sammy said as he smiled and spun one more time further up the hill.
by Robby Dilmore
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