Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, Day 31.

Having headed for the border a day ahead of the main group, we had gone on ahead, with the Buick loaded onto a transporter truck,
without a break as far as Thessaloniki in Greece.

That day, once again, we naturally could not drive the official competition route.

Without roaring the engine, without pressing the accelerator,
we were carried along on the Buick, up on the transporter truck.
How many countries had we spent up on that truck…
I could not speak with the drivers of the haulage companies in any country, but over the long, long distances
we had become friends.

Tomorrow we would cross the sea by ship,
so we were heading for Igoumenitsa a little ahead of the main group. The plan was to meet up with them again there.

But what filled our heads was no longer the route, or our ranking.It was only that ring gear, found in New York.

The ring gear leaves New York

The ring gear, found thanks to the calls of friends all over the world,
finally left New York, we were told.

And somehow we had arranged to receive it in Italy, across the border we had managed to cross.A part that was a miracle just to have been found was now flying across the Atlantic to where we were headed.

“Maybe now we can run again.”

Of course we were also looking for a repair workshop in Italy and making arrangements.
At last, hope felt, just slightly, closer to reality.

But we did not have it in our hands yet.

We submitted the documents needed to be sure of receiving the package, told them where we were and where we were going next, and checked on the delivery status.
Would it arrive safely at the pickup point?
Could we and the part reach Italy at the same time?

One small mix-up, and everything might be too late.

The messages went back and forth without a break.

All we can do now is pray

The part had left New York.
The arrangements to receive it were in place.
We were on our way to Italy too.

We had done everything we could prepare.

Even so, in the end, all we could do was pray — that the flight would leave on schedule, that the package would arrive safely, that we would be able to collect it on time.

Now that we could not make the car run by our own strength, the time spent just waiting was harder than driving on.

“Please, let us make it in time.”

I murmured again the words I had repeated in my heart again and again since leaving Peking.

A day on which nothing could be done

There was nothing more we could do from where we were.

The car was up on the transporter truck.
The ring gear was up in the sky.
Apart from waiting for news, we could not even lay a hand on the car.

Before I knew it, my heart and body had gone stiff with the stress of the border crossing and the breakdown.

It became a day of brief rest… from tomorrow we would join the main group again and aim for the finish.
Before that, let’s give ourselves a little rest.

I took off the competition uniform I had worn all this time and washed it.

I wished I could wash away everything together — the sweat and dust, the anxiety and impatience.

For the first time in a long while I took a long shower, and even a nap.
Changing into light clothes, the tension that had been strung tight loosened, just a little.

A meal that filled my heart

I wandered around the neighbourhood, went into a restaurant, and finally had a warm, delicious meal for the first time in a long while.

A day on which we could neither drive nor repair.
Precisely because of that, I thought: let’s fill our empty hearts with food.

Not only the taste of the food — the smiles and the consideration of the people in the restaurant
soaked into our exhausted hearts.

A country with a different language and culture, yet people who do not leave someone in trouble alone.
They welcomed us with smiles and offered what they could, naturally.

In this country too, people really were warm.

From Peking to here, we had been helped by people again and again.

Every time the car stopped, it felt as if the journey itself had stopped.
But each time, someone’s hand reached out and pushed us on to the next step.

Tomorrow, we cross the sea

By the time the washed uniform had dried, our hearts too had grown a little lighter.

The ring gear was on its way to Italy.

Tomorrow we would head for Igoumenitsa, join the main group and cross the sea.

Nothing was certain yet.

Even so, tonight at least, let’s rest our bodies, carrying warm food and people’s kindness in our hearts.

From tomorrow, the race against time begins again.

Believing in the miracle ring gear, and in a future where we run again.
To be continued in Day 32…