My car is gone

A few years ago my car (1985 Volvo Stationwagon) started acting very strangely and I neglected to fix it... just parked it on the side of the road where it sat for more than 2 years, gathering dust. Every month I paid insurance on it. I kept it plated until very recently. The tires went flat; we pumped them back up. Eventually I calculated what it was costing me to NOT drive the car, so I put a for sale sign on the dash. I got a few calls, but who really wants a beached 1985 Volvo that needs undetermined repairs?

Several months ago I had to move the car because the streets were being cleaned. We called the motor association to have it boosted.. but no way would that car start. In the end we had to tow it onto the boulevard, and it ended up costing me a $70.00 parking ticket. Ca chinnnnnng.

Well, recently there was a knock at the door, and there stood an older man; short, battered.. a sketchy looking fellow to say the least. He said he wanted the car, and didn't seem in the least bit worried when I told him that it WOULD NOT START.. hadn't run in years. He told me what he could pay, and it wasn't too darned much, I'll tell you that.

Did I have an extra battery? Yes. Flat, but worth a try.

Did I have a quart of oil? Yes... And here, have these new headlights and spark plugs and fuses.

Did I have a repair manual? Yes; strangely, right beside the front door.

Bill of sale? Yes.

Original documentation? Yes.

Registration? Yes. All of that.


So.. He somehow charged the dead battery, and exchanged it for the one in the car. Jim pumped up a flat tire for him. He turned the key... and the car started. I could not believe my eyes as I watched him drive it away. WTH???? It's been sitting there all this time, and I would have sworn on a bible that it was completely dead.

I cleaned out all of the stuff and junk that had been stored in the car, and the very last thing that caught my eye was a small silver star. If you know me well, you know that these stars have been appearing since my son died. I wasn't surprised to see it; it's in my pants pocket, as we speak.

It drove away; dirty, a bit creaky, and I wasn't in the least bit sad... I felt really happy actually, because it struck me that it hasn't been my car for a long, long time. It's just been sitting there waiting for Walter.

I think they'll be good together.