slosh down the pepper!

Goodman Tempest!

Last Sunday night, me & Tempest went to the Play.SG kiosk outside Tampines Mall to rent a DVD. As usual, he parked alongside the road next to the kiosk. Seeing that there was another couple at the kiosk, I decided that he should stay in the car so that he didn't have to keep a constant lookout for the traffic warden while queuing up. I then got out and joined in the queue.

Five minutes later, Tempest got out of his car and I found him talking to an Indian man whose taxi was parked in front of him. The cab driver was skinny and sported a head of white hair. Apparently he had engaged Tempest's help to change his punctured tyre. He was lamenting that he was old and had no strength for such strenuous activity. I knew what he was talking about. I had seen Tempest & his friend changing a tyre at the Night Safari before. Tempest knocked into a curb and burst his tyre. Along with his friend, they took a good 30 - 45 minutes trying to figure out how to use the tools and doing the actual tyre changing. That was his first attempt. That night was the second. :-) He was considerably more apt and appeared more confident of what he was doing.

I chatted with the cab driver for a while and he seemed to hint that he was going to use the spare tyre for long term. O_O. Gosh, I prayed that his passengers would be able to alight his cab well and sound.

Anyway, the focus of this entry is on Tempest and his 'altruism'. Hahaha. That cab driver actually offered to pay him $10 for his 'service'. Tempest turned it down, of course. He sensed that it wasn't a sincere offer. Well, quite true, only $10 for all those efforts?! I bet he was trying very hard to save money by trying to engage the help of passer-bys and fellow drivers than to call the car garage. I am sure Comfort would have a few 'suppliers'.

Tempest asked if I would take the money if I were him. Heh, I replied that I would turn down at the first offer, and likely to accept it if that man was insistent enough. Tempest held the same thoughts. Though he was sweating profusely, I saw that he was really happy to have helped someone, even at no rewards. I know some of my male colleagues whose car tyre punctured and they refused to change it themselves, not only because of the lack of knowledge of how to do it, but also because they didn't wish to expend huge amount of energy on changing, then sending it to the repair shop again - double work. So, I am pretty impressed, seriously.

*Pats the big brown guy on the back*

posted by slingwoof @ 6/04/2008 01:58:00 AM