5 Flats in One Day?

Yup. No joke. Five flat tires in one day. Welcome to third world country living...where the roads in certain areas are plowed garbage heaps.

Last week I went to the supermarket and as I got out of the car, I could hear 'sssssssssssssssssss'. Air was quickly coming out of one of the tires. I decided to skip the market trip and drive home as quickly as possible. Had I spoken French fluently, I'm not sure if this still would have been my decision. However, I just wanted to get the car home where Rich could put the spare on and I could avoid trying to communicate in 1/2 French 1/2 English.

I got the car home and after a few hours checked on the tire, assuming it would be flat. Would you believe that the tire had not gone down at all? I quickly got my purse and drove back to the supermarket as we were having a dinner party and needed some goodies.

Of course, as I came out of the grocery store with a cart overflowing with bags, the tire was completely flat. Yes, I know what you are thinking... Obviously when I had parked the car at home, the leak had been plugged on the ground. Why didn't I think of that?

I was thinking about the ice cream and frozen goodies in the 100 degree car and my lack of french vocabulary to deal with getting help. So, I decided to drive the car home. I drove slowly and said 'Je sais, merci' (I know, thank you) to everyone that was yelling, pointing, and waving their arms to show me the flat tire. Crazy Toubab.

I held my breath the whole way home and let out a big sigh of relief when I turned on to our street.

'Do we really have TWO flat tires on the car?' Rich said when he got home from work.

Not sure how it happened, but after driving home from the supermarket the car somehow acquired another flat tire.

Flat Tire Count: 2

'That's really weird because on my way home today I got two flat tires on my bicycle', Rich said.

I thought he was joking.

Flat Tire Count: 4

But it gets even more unbelievable. We got out the jogging stroller. And of course, before our very own eyes, was a flat tire on the stroller.

Flat Tire Count: 5

What does it all mean? No idea. A sign to move our stocks to Midas? A test of patience? Hmmmmm. We shall see.