The Old Car
Just more light reading, nothing serious, to a car guy maybe a memory or two.
"Al, hey, look at what I bought." Standing proudly by my recent purchase. Al standing in his driveway gives a weary eye to my new car, well, at least in concept it’s new, I just bought it and it’s new to me. "Yea, I see it, that’s the reason I’m out here I heard it coming from a block away." "What is it anyway?" "It’s a car Al, a nineteen fifty one Chevy," I give him a look like he just arrived on the planet. Al starts across his yard towards me and my proud purchase as I use the sleeve of my shirt to symbolically polish the fender, this action only in vain considering the overall condition of the body. "Boy Brian, you’re lucky they let you into the neighborhood in that thing." Al giving me, then the car a rather disgusted look. "What exactly prompted you to go out and buy this thing?" Walking around the car Al cautiously rubs his hand over the body and looks at it as if some plague had descended upon the earth. "You’re parking this in your garage right Brian, I mean you’re not going to leave it sit in the driveway, right?" Considering the six figure homes we live in and the manicured lawns it’s probably the best thing to do, I think to myself, no since in getting drummed out of the neighborhood. "Yes Al, it’ll be housed in the garage." I let out a little laugh and look around at the houses within view.

As Al made a complete inspection tour of my car he walks up to me and asks, "Is this one of those mid-life crisis moments you’re going through?" Leaning against the car with Al standing next to me I look him in the eye raise my eyebrows and smile, "want to go for a ride, I’ll even let you drive if you want?" Al looks at me like I just told him his best friend was mowed down by a train, holds up his hands in a defensive mode and say’s "remember I have to live in this neighborhood also, it’s bad enough that I have to live next door to you now." "Seriously Brian, what are you going to do with this thing, where did you find it?" "Easy Al, all in good time, c’mon time for a test drive, get in and we’ll take a spin around the block and I will have you right back, Sylvia will never know you’re gone," Sylvia being Al’s wife and somewhat controlling, to put it mildly. Al, still standing next to the car, cautiously not getting to close for fear of some contagion, arms crossed over his chest looking down at the ground turns his stare towards his house, "I don’t know Brian, maybe,,,,, Sylvia’s not home anyway I guess it’ll be okay." "C’mon Al, live on the wild side, lets go." "Al looks at me and laughs, "I do live on the wild side, I live next door to you, that’s wild enough for this neighborhood." "Get in, it’ll be great, like reliving the past." I look at Al as he opens the car door and slides in with a look on his face like he’s exploring some unknown cave.

"I’m glad I didn’t wear anything good," as Al examines the car interior. "Oh it’s not that bad." I smile at Al. "What is that smell, Brian?" Al looks at me with a wrinkled face. "Al that is the smell of old car, believe me, my old man never owned a new car, I grew up on these smells, the good ole days." I answered with fond memories. "Ever hear of child abuse Brian, being forced to ride in one of these things while growing up, old car smell and wet dog smell about the same." How do you roll the window down, I don’t see a button to push?" "You see that handle, turn it, the window will go down." I look at Al like he lost his mind. "You got to be kidding, manual labor to get the window down, and you call that the good old days."

I smile at Al as I turn the key and push the button on the dash to start the engine, a loud grinding and then a loud explosion as the engine jumps to life followed by a loud roar. Immediately Al covers his ears and tucks his head toward his lap. "Yea, I better get the exhaust system fixed." I say offhandedly while backing out of the driveway. Al still tucked in his position turns his head and asks "are there any of our neighbors out I hope no one sees me." Roaring up the street and making a turn at the intersection I look at Al, "it’s safe buddy, you can come up now, were out of the neighborhood." Al slowly raises his head and removes his hands from his ears and looks around, "okay, where are we going?" "Just around the block, I just want you to get a taste of the good old days, boy, times were good."

"Brian, there is nothing about good old days here, this is not reliving the past this is some kind of heinous torture, I can’t believe people actually drove something like this let alone own one." As we roar up the street a small cloud of blue smoke following us, memories come flooding back to me. "Al," I hesitate for a moment, "you been driving that BMW to long, the easy life." Al gives me a long strange look as if I told him that the world was going to end tomorrow. Coming to an intersection I let off the accelerator and the engine back fires and I notice Al coming clear off the seat. "Is it supposed to do that?" Al asks with a concerned look on his face. I get the car around the corner with some effort Al taking notice and shaking his head in a non complimentary manner. I look at Al and smile, "better take a dive Al, we’re almost back to our neighborhood," "to late now Brian I’m sure I’ve been spotted, I’m now a marked man." With a grim look Al stares forlornly out the windshield as we drive down the street toward our homes.

Pulling into the driveway I shut off the car and Al is once again shaken by a backfire and notice’s a large plume of blue smoke drifting up from somewhere under the car. Al, no worse for the experience, reaches for the door handle, pulls and gets no response. "Now what?" Al looks at me. "Throw your shoulder into it, it’s probably stuck, that’s the way these old cars are, you know." Al looks at the door as if being challenged by an unknown force and nudges it somewhat cautiously, the door opens and he looks skyward as if thanking God for saving him from a fate worse then death. I push open my door in the same manner as Al with the exception of very little effort shown. Al notice’s my ease at getting out of the car, "looks like you been doing that all your life Brian, you make it look so easy." "My old man’s car, the same thing, it’s like riding a bicycle you never forget how." "Brian, you and I, cut from a different cloth, I will stay with my BMW and now I’ll appreciate it even more, no backfire no blue smoke, door’s that open." "Oh, by the way Brian, you never did answer my questions, where did you find this thing, abandon along the road somewhere?" "Actually, I bought it." "You’re kidding, you paid money for this thing, Lydia will have a fit." Al referring to my wife. "You know my wife Al, she’ll grumble then she will settle down, it always ends in my favor."

"Will Brian, I’m waiting, you said you paid money for this, and I want to know where you got it from so I can avoid that neighborhood." "Al, no big deal, I was driving home from work the other day and seen it parked along street.

It was just like the one my old man had when I was growing up and it was flash back time, a for sale sign taped to the windshield and right then I knew it was mine." Al, now a little more comfortable with the car leans against it haphazardly. "Well Brian, since you got money in this thing what are you going to do with it, like fix it up, a paint job, body work and possibly doing something with the engine, you know, the noise thing."
"Al," I look at him and let out a little laugh, "sure thing buddy, I’ll do some of the work myself," Al gets a worried look on his face. "Don’t worry buddy it’ll be done in the garage behind a closed door, no one will ever know." Al’s worried look is replaced by a sigh of relief and a smile. "Hey Brian, no time like the present with the garage and getting this thing out of sight, let me help you." "That’s okay Al I don’t really need any help I’ll drive it in later, it’s getting dark anyway, the neighbors will never notice it." "Brian I just can’t believe Lydia will allow you to park this thing in the garage with your new car." "Like I said Al she’ll grumble but I will win out."

"Hello dear, a new toy?" "Hi Lydia." Al greets my wife. I answer, "yea it’s one like the my dad had when I was growing up, I seen it parked on the other side of town with a for sale sign on it and just had to have it." Lydia takes a long serious look at the car and then at Al and asks, "well what do you think of it Al?" Al holds his hands up in defense, "please don’t get me involved, I want nothing to do with this, I’ve even encouraged him to keep it in the garage out of sight, you know." Lydia starts laughing, "I was thinking back on the other side of town." "Seriously dear, what are you going to do with it, I mean it’s a wreck?" Lydia looks at me skeptically. I smile proudly, "I’m going to fix it up, make it look like it just came off the showroom floor." Lydia looks at me like I’m delusional. "I’ll believe it when I see it, right Al." Al holds up his hands again and pleads innocence, "don’t get me involved, please." "Brian, don’t stay out to late supper is almost ready, you boy’s can play with the car tomorrow it’s getting late, Al is going to have to go home so you can come in and eat." Lydia looks at us both and start laughing. "I’ve got to get going anyway Brian, it’s been fun," Al looking at the car, "Brian, remember, the car, the garage," as Al walks across the lawn toward his house. I follow up behind Lydia toward the front door, as I walk I cast a look back at the car and once again the memories come flowing out. Yea, I think to myself, the good old days.