Not a Good Day

Do you remember the excitement of getting your first car?  Mine was an Impala my uncle had given me for $1.  My dad paid $650 to put in a new carburetor to get it running.  Wasn’t new, or a really cool car, but it was mine.

My next door neighbor’s daughter turns sixteen in October and they bought her a brand new, shiny Elantra.  They wanted her to get used to driving it before she could drive it solo when she turned sixteen.  The smile on her face was priceless as she proudly showed me her new ride.  I couldn’t have been happier for her.

My vehicle is a Ford 250 truck that has a long bed.  This pulls our fifth wheel so it is a pretty heavy duty truck.  I am 5 ft tall and drive the monster truck.  I have gotten so many comments on how a short person like me can drive this huge truck and often get stares as I exit the door and unto the running board to eventually put both feet on the ground.

The other day, I was going to the store and I backed out of our long driveway and went my merry little way.  I didn’t even get out of the neighborhood when my phone rang and it was my neighbor asking me if I had just left my house.  I said yes and thought I might have left my garage door open.  To my surprise, he said I had just hit his daughter’s car.  I screamed, “What”?  I never heard or saw anything.  I turned quickly back to the house to see what was happening.  Sure enough, there was my young neighbor and her girlfriend looking at the dent in the passenger door.

They were parked in the street and listening to the radio when they said they felt the car jolt.  I have never felt so bad.  Not only did I dent her new car but crushed her excitement of having a brand, new shiny car.  I told her not to worry as I would pay to get it back to its original condition.  Knowing I won’t be in this neighborhood for long, I had a troubling thought.  This young lady will always remember me not for being a good neighbor but the one who ruined her new car.   I don’t think I will be invited to her Sweet Sixteen, do you think I will be?