Another Car Story

In case you haven't followed my previous car posts, you might want to get caught up first. You can look here,

http://mostly-musing.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-car.html

and here,

http://mostly-musing.blogspot.com/2012/04/birthday-tribute-to-my-dad.html.

And now, here is one more car story:

Thursday afternoon

Me:  "Good afternoon, Dr. Iversen's office. This is Debbie."

Man's voice:  "What time can you be at my house tomorrow to sign papers?"

Me:  "Dad?"

Dad:  "Yes. What time can you be at my house tomorrow?"

Me:  "What for?"

Dad:  "I'll tell you about it later. It has to do with my car. What time?"

Me:  "Dad! I'm at work. I can't talk about this right now. What have you done?"

Dad:  "Just give me a time."

Me:  "Oh, for heaven's sake. 2:00 p.m."

Dad:  "Great. I'll explain later. Bye."

I called my dad as soon as I got off work. He quickly explained that he had gone to San Luis that day and bought himself a car. Actually, another car! (See links to previous posts above.) I was speechless. My dad will be 87 in just a few weeks. He is a remarkable man and I admire him greatly. But I must say, in the last couple of years, he has gotten a bit impulsive. (For example, the inflatable kayak that showed up one day.) But this was the second car that he had bought, without a word to me, until after it was a done deal. He wanted me at his house the next day because the new car was being delivered. He puts everything in my name, as well as his these days, so my presence was required so that I could sign the DMV paperwork.

I wanted to get after him about his capriciousness but I couldn't. I knew why he had done it. I've been driving a very old Buick for quite a while. It has almost 200,000 miles on it, the driver's side window doesn't role down, the rear passenger door doesn't open from the inside, the driver's side headlight is duct-taped on, etc. He's been worrying about me, a poor, single, old, frail woman, driving alone in a questionable car. I knew what was coming.

Friday afternoon

"I want you to have my Camry. I'd feel better about that. Don't argue with me. Are you going to rob me of the joy I get in helping you out?"

Stab! Now I know where I get my ability to lay the guilt on my girls. I inherited it from him. What could I say? I'm a parent, too. The drive to care for our kids never really goes away. Wouldn't I do something similar for one of my daughters if I was able? About that time, the sales manager from the car dealership drove up in the new car, followed by one of his employees in another car. The new car is a bronze colored Honda of some sort, very nice looking, a couple of years old and only 12,000 miles on it.

While Dad was writing the check the sales manager said to me, "Where's your old Buick? This Camry will be a much better car for you." I looked at Dad and said, "What did you do? Tell him my life story?" I turned back to the salesman and said, "It's not that I'm not grateful. It's just that at 60, I'd sort of like to think I was a bit independent." He replied, "Oh, I imagine you're independent and probably a bit feisty!"

Feisty? Hmm, I gotta tell you honestly, just as an aside, that comment made my day. Anyway, as he was leaving I said, "Listen, the next time he shows up in your dealership, CALL ME FIRST!"

The business was concluded and I hugged my dad and told him how much I really did appreciate all he does for me. We then proceeded to admire his new car.

"I hope it at least has better visibility than your Camry. That has some pretty significant blind spots. Can you see out of it better?"

Long pause..."Well, I don't know." Another long pause..."I didn't test drive it."

I was stunned. "Does it have cruise control?"

Long pause..."Well, I don't know." Another long pause..."I didn't sit in it."

Who does that? Who buys a car on a whim just because it's a low mileage Honda? Who doesn't sit in the car or test drive it? And who gives away his perfectly good Camry?

My sweet, wonderful, loving, caring, humble father. Hasn't God blessed me?