BUMP!...... the White Wabbit's tea went up her nose.
"What was that?" she twitched.
"POTHOLES" replied Husband Slash Boyfriend. The White Wabbit noticed he had a look of grim determination as he clutched the steering wheel.
The rain came down harder; in the distance she could see headlights.
"WHAT IS THAT?" she squeeked.
" ITS A B TRAIN...... NO WAIT ITS C TRAIN" Husband Slash Boyfriend yelled. The rain was now going beserk. A monstrous truck squeezed past them on the narrow road.
"THEY DONT HAVE X.Y.Z. TRAINS?" she yelled back.
Husband Slash Boyfriend didn't answer her; he was too busy staying alive.
Past swollen rivers, with logs the size of elephants floating down them, they drove. The rain that until now had obviously been bring its C-game decided to switch to its more exciting A-game.
It really got going - pelting the little car and caravan and making the windscreen wipers go into overdrive. The White Wabbit could see the river rising with each passing minute. Forest block trees were dancing the hula - doing their best not to look at all slutty by losing too many branches.
Down a steep hillside they went, closely followed by a campervan that had seen better days.
BANG! .... BANG!.... BANG!..... then a strange metaley sound nobody had heard before. Husband Slash Boyfriend looked at the White Wabbit.
"I think we had better pull over"
The campervan that had seen better days pulled up behind them. Out jumped an arm-waving German girl with extremely cool dread-locks.
" I fink ya have broken ya veal"
Husband Slash Boyfriend lay on his back and shuffled under the wee caravan. Rain was going up his nose, so he was hard to understand at first.
" Datsils broken"
"WHAT? isnt it it the veal...... sorry, I mean the wheel? It looks like the wheel; it's all tipped over." The White Wabbit was confused.
"Ya, ya it's definitely ya veal. I tried to flash my lights to let you know but zat hill vaz scary and I couldn't get ya to see; too much vein."
The White Wabbit liked this girl; she looked really organic and friendly and she found her matter-of-fact Germanic tones very soothing.
Husband Slash Boyfriend slithered out from under the caravan.
"It's not the wheel. It's the axel; it's broken"
"Zat is is VE ally sad" the German girl hugged the White Wabbit tightly in her tall embrace.
They stood like this for a moment, contemplating what the next move should be.
Husband Slash Boyfriend couldn't believe their luck - pulling up beside them was a police car. Out hopped two fine kiwi coppers.
"It's not your day is it......? You will have to pull it over, lock it up, and drive through to the next town. Are you AA members?"
The White Wabbit had forgotten this small fact, and scrambled around in her bag.....finally, triumphently, pulling out her AA card and a cell phone.
"Road's blocked ahead" said the taller copper.
"Go to Motueka and wait it out; they have power" suggested the even taller copper.
"I fink I vil do zat too." said the White Wabbit's new German friend.
Everyone headed off to find coffee and lunch - except the White Wabbit, who preferred a spot of tea with her lunch.
Carrot cake was on the menu at the Motueka cafe; the day was looking considerably brighter! According to the cafe owner these flash floods could recede in an hour or two. The AA had agreed to transport the wee caravan back to Blenheim. It looked like the White Wabbit and Husband Slash Boyfriend would make it to Christchurch after all...........