Punctured 5 Kms away from base!

My good old bicycle has always been my company in Japan the foldable Athletic Orange black combo. After my move to Kawasaki, to my surprise could not locate a cycle shop around in my usual routes.The air was pretty low since last week and I wanted to locate a cycle shop and get it pumped up! Unfortunately timed out at last I located my own pump and carried it all the way down to ground floor and gave it some work out. Pumped in just enough on to the back tyre to carry myself the ..Kgs precious passenger :)

Went around shopping neatly with the bicycle till evening and came home for an early dinner rice and Chinese Chicken preparation (you bet it was awesome on the first attempt itself!).
Then all charged up decided to take a long evening ride to explore the are as usual. ventured in to unknown territory along the Kawasaki daishi station for about 5 Km and reached a major intersection. Well let me mention there were quite a few waves and stares all along. God knows why and few I did reciprocate too :) Had a doubt whether it was a rare site of a gaijin on a bicycle this side.Donnn think so but could be...

Well at the major intersection I saw a Gas station and a prudent Japanese service person at Esso Station (college guy may be), He was waiting for me to cross to give a green to an awaiting crane truck to move out of the station.I took a 360 degree turn in to the station and as the crane moved out approached the service guy and asked him in Nihonglish about a cycle shop near by to pump in the tyres for a smoother and longer ride!

To my surprise he looked at the tyre and said Dozooo and he asked me to park towards the tyre safety area.I had the doubts about getting it pumped at the gas stations always and with the same doubt I had always kept cycling past so many gas stations. Well I could not find a single cycle shop in this area near my place. idi as usual wanted to check out his usual calculated extreme risk policy! I parked the cycle and got down. He professionally checked the tyre by pressing and checking the pressure and looks up at me and nods. He starts his pump with jetting air. I had doubts but the confidence he showed was too professional that I kind of was ready to go beyond my calculation of risks. He puts the nozzle in and pumps in ssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! after about 5 seconds he releases and puts in the nozzle and in 2 seconds my tyre goes down FLAAAAT.....

He looks up and says looks like something wrong and tries again.

Ssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh pump in for 4-5 seconds and ooooooooooooouuuuuuuuusssss in 2 seconds back to FLAT.
This time he never looked at me and ten opens the valve ad shows me the blasted tube. and says to me that this is out need replacement and presses and shows me the FLAT tyre . I was like ...........................................................@#%$#%%^#@^%@$^@%^%^@%$^^

Then he says to me in Japanese that he will replace it and states searching in the service station boxes . For a few moment I was relieved that he would have a spare. 30 seconds & he rushes to the office and after about a minute comes back and says suimasen.....
You need to go and get it from a Daishi ya?? (not sure if the word is correct but he meant a cycle shop.) I looked at my watch and 8:40 PM. Damn no ways an cycle shop is open Asked him politely if there were any. He said toiee des. And that meant FAR and I asked him Kono hen de (in this area)? He just wanted to run off I guess and he says to me Wakarane in plain Japanese and tell me valve is broken and so you cannot pump in.I Had to smile even if there were big drum beat sessoins going on in my mind and head! He was talking like some thing was technically wrong and as if i was no where around when things happened.Oh My God!!!
Started walking back and the tyre was making a ridiculous noise being FLAT. oH my God! walked for about 2.5 Kms and then saw a 7 11 Holding Ito Yamaka (I guess I got the name correct) across the highway.
7 11 always have gained my appreciation for their service and convenient stores and wanted to give it a try. I was about to cross I saw the ground floor supermarket having a cycle shop. No harm and idi ran his risk analysis again. went in to see that all the crowd was moving out and by this time it was almost 9:35 PM. And to my surprise my bicycle wanted me not to leave her for some reason she could not even stand on the usual stand. Had to lean it on a pillar and ran in to check with the personnel in the cycle section and he was straight away wakaraney. and I was like D....!!!! and then there was this young guy servicing a bicycle and suddenly popped up and started to ask me "Yes please" . I was really wondering to ask or not and then I asked him if he had the valves. He said "okay! please bring the cycle"
I still was not sure out ran out and got the cycle in. First thing he looked at the tyre and pressed and looked up and spoke in Japanese as if the tyre had to be changed. Then I told him in English "the valve is blasted, could you replace?" and showed it to him and then he realized what the problem was! I was wondering what is really going on! My Goodness!
He jumped up and ran back with a replacement and fixed it and pumped in air and what a relief and then I asked him immediately that when they were closing and he said 10 PM .Wow great. at last and then I requested him to fill in the front tyre also and he did it perfectly. I was really happy and asked him the payment and he jumped up and said "Service des" which means 'Free in Japanese business terms and they are looking forward top seeing me again.'
I thanked him seriously and drove out and man and again me and my orangey-black baby we were flying again so smooth and fast. In another 10-12 minutes I was back at base and gulping down a chilled Pepsi Twist down my heated up body!
Oh Back to the base at at last and I did find a Bicycle shop near by to my place and the real way you bet ha haa!! ! But you know I love it this way and experience filled life and loving my life every moment filled with His grace and providence!