This is my favourite story involving a car.

Brad and I waited eons too long to get our licenses, which ensured that our friends were driving our asses around for quite some time before we were able to return the favour. Melissa, Sarah E and I actually went to driving school together. We spent the entire time in the middle to back rows, not listening to the lectures whatsoever and writing top secret notes to each other on the backs of our super important driving lesson handouts.

We still talk about the time Melissa accidentally poked Claude's ("My NAME is pronounced CLODE.") bum, and we thought it was the most hilarious thing she had ever done because we'd just spent six hours sitting in a dimly lit room learning about what the dash in the middle of the road signifies and we disrupted the entire class with our laughter until Roger, our instructor, had to look pointedly at us while clearing his throat.

Anyways. Brad still got his license before me, and at that same time also procured his very first automobile: his beloved Tempo. I am pretty sure the Tempo was made from the various parts of other dead cars, much like Frankenstein. If the Tempo could've spoken I think it might have made desperate, mechanical pleas for "Friend?" while accidentally drowning small children.

... too far?

Anyways. He had this new car, and it was amazing. Except for like, how the subs rattled the trunk so hard it was like the entire car was going to fall apart... and that whole exhaust problem. But other than that, the Tempo was AMAZING. Brad let me drive it once, when I had just gotten my licence and was still petrified at the thought of leaving the neighbourhood, and I nearly drove us off the highway and straight into the ditch with my superhuman night vision. Brad didn't let me drive it for awhile after that.

This one night though, we were all piled into the Tempo cruising through the orange lit neon streets of Thunder Bay at 3 a.m., when an old model Oldsmobile pulled up beside us. We couldn't immediately see the people inside the car, but Brad sort of revved his engine, and the Olds revved it's engine and when the light turned green we both sped off. For awhile the Olds was winning ... we were just behind it, still unable to see the people inside.

Finally, Brad slammed down the gas pedal and the Tempo, miraculously, gained speed and we cruised by the Olds.

Inside were two elderly men wearing their full military uniforms, from the pins to the World War II issue hats, and as we passed them by they saluted us.

And that is my favourite story about a car.

Labels: Sarah Land, Stories