Thursday afternoon my Mom wanted two things. A large sweet tea half cut and a large diet coke from McDonald’s.
I said I would go get one for her. My Camaro only has one cup holder. So I got her a diet coke and then headed home. I was pulling out of the intersection, my check gage light flicked on.
Lately, my car has had some problems. Last week the window motor quit working and it spent 2 days in the shop. For 2 days I was driving a Ford Fiesta. I got the car back, and the service engine soon light popped on and would flash. Then it turned off.
So now I had a check gage light on, I got home and told my Mom. She said to keep an eye on it.
I went back to what I was doing and changed my clothes. It was around 8:45 by now. I remembered I needed to get gas and get the last drink for my Mom.
All I had on was my leggins, skirt, tank top, cardigan, and Doc Martens. I grabbed my purse and keys, then decided I should get my fringed leather jacket.
My Mom had her pajamas and rain boots on.
Gas was $3.35 when we drove by the gas station and I still had 1/4 of a tank. I told Mom we would go to McDonald’s first, swing back by and get the gas.
I flicked on “Machinehead” by Bush, one of my favorite songs. We were cruisin’, passing Hardee’s, then it all happened.
“Is your battery gage always in the red.” My Mom asked. I looked down at the gage.
“Nope.” I answered. At the moment, the life of my car started to drain. Radio shut off, my lights dimmed, my power steering started to diminish. Everything. Turn signals. Hazard lights. My dome stayed on. All my cluster lights were flicking on and off. Service engine soon, ABS, low oil… all of them. The only one that didn’t was my security light. It’s always on due to a wiring problem. The actual anti-theft light was flashing on the dashboard the whole time.
As my car was becoming possessed, the security system was still protecting me from thieves. Haha.
I pulled to the side of the road and my Mom switched with me. We had enough power to cut through an addition that would being us out to the auto shop, we would park the car, and my Dad would pick us up.
We were getting ready to pull into the shop, I realized my phone was still sitting on my bed. And she had left hers at home.
There was one choice. My Grandpa lived across from the shop, but it was still in another housing addition. We would get across the road, get through the entrance, and still make a couple turns.
The car made it across the road, and through the entrance. We were going through the intersection when I yelled, “don’t hit the cat!” It was actually a paper bag.
My Camaro lost all power (still had security). We had to push the car. I threw open the door, stuck my right foot out, and tried to push Fred Flintstone style. Didn’t work.
Mom took the front and steered. I took the back and pushed.
It was about 9:10.
At 9:16, we made it to my Grandpa’s house. I ran to his door yelling. He came out with a flashlight. We popped my hood and it released a burning smell.
We got a hold of my Dad and he came over. He was on the phone for what felt like an hour talking to the tow company.
10:30 they came. They began to tow my car away. That was a terrible feeling. I honestly thought my ground effects was going to be ripped off along with my bumper.
After they towed the car away, I realized that I still had to get to my vocational school the next day. My Mom had Fiesta, the only reason I was driving her was because my Dad was off work. My Dad his car. Both my brothers had their cars. That only left one person that had two cars.
“Too bad I don’t know anyone with a Dodge Ram…” Grandpa had a truck, but also had a car. He rarely drove the truck.
The next morning I was driving a Dodge Ram 1500!
Oh boy, that was the funnest drive ever. Normally, at red lights, I look up at the people next to me. Friday, I was looking down at them. All my boys were pretty darn jealous too.
As Tim Mcgraw would say, “truck yeah!”
A couple guys wanted to go muddin’. I had to remind them it wasn’t my truck and Grandpa would kill me.
I got my car back the same day, my alternator had went bad. $279 to fix the thing. I gave Grandpa his truck back and drove my Camaro home. I even finished listening to “Machinehead.”
The whole situation could have been prevented if I had just had my phone!
60sinseattle 