Chapter 2 – Dreams do come true

 

Right before college in October 1995, I was driving out in the country with my dad, and we were discussing finances and college.   I had gotten many scholarships to college, so that first quarter would be a little lighter than the rest.  That is when my dad surprised me.

Working for the phone company, he travels a lot of the back roads of the county and sees things that most would never see.  He had me pull down some little gravel road; what does he have me going back here for.  That’s when I saw it. It was bright yellow, top down, looked like it just was washed and waxed.  “Wanna take a look, I hear it’s for sale” Dad Said.

“Well Yeah!!”  I said, barely getting the car stopped before I threw off my seatbelt and jumped out.  The car was not new, it was a 1986, but was well taken care of, it did not have many miles on it either.  Finally, the lady came out of the house and walked towards us.

“So, you like the car” She said

“Yes, I do, but is it for sale” I asked, not seeing a for sale sign or anything

“Sure it is, I washed it this morning, cause your father said that you were looking for a car” She said  “My son bought it brand new when he went off to the military, but when he got stationed overseas he signed it over to me so I could get the tags and such for him.  Then he got stationed over in Europe, then the gulf war broke out and he was killed over there”  She paused and took a breath  “I kept it in the barn for a few years, everybody said that I should have just sold it after he died, but I could not bring myself to it.

When my car broke down last week, I got it out and drove it, but it is just too much car for me.  When your father came out to fix the phone, he saw it and made the comment that you were looking for a car like it.  I was going to take the car to town that day and see what I could get for it, but let your dad make an offer for it.”

“M’am might  I ask you how much you would want for the car” Thinking that she would want way more than I had or was willing to give, I mean after all it had not been driven that much, it had 30,000 miles on it, and I bet most of that was the trip from wherever her son had been stationed

“Well I had discussed with your father the price of $8,000 since it is in such great shape and the milage” The woman politely said

Excitedly I said “let me talk to my dad” Dad and I walked away so we could talk.  “Dad, that is a lot of money, I have many times that saved up, but spending it is oh so hard for me to do.  “I want it, I really do.  What will mother think about it though”

Dad took a deep breath, I was thinking that he was going to try to talk some sense into me and tell me to not spend the money “Son, you have been working for the last 4 to 5 years, you have scrimped and saved every penny you ever made, heck you opted to not get senior pictures done professionally or your graduation stuff done just to save money.  I think you have long ago deserved this.  Your mother and I have talked it over; she agrees with me.”

“Son, you need a reliable car for when you go away to college, you will be over an hour away, and that ol Honda of yours is on it’s last leg, it leaks, creaks and smokes every time you drive it.  I was about to tell you that you would have to get rid of it cause it was making a mess in the driveway.  Also son, I have looked this car over, gassed it up, and drove it, heck I was even so sure that you would get it I changed the oil the other day on it.  It is in fine shape, buy it, you deserve it, and it is well below blue book price too”

We walked back over to Mrs. Jensen, I later found out her name when I paid, “I will take it!”  being dumb and young, and really never touching my savings; I had no clue how to take that much money out of the bank “Dad, how do I get the money from the bank, will they just count out cash to me, do they make me get an armored car or what”

“Jayson, don’t be silly.  The bank will cut a cashier’s check to Mrs. Jensen and she will take it to her bank” Dad said, kind of annoyed at how dense I can be sometimes, but I never really took money out of the bank, I was always squirreling it away.  Sure maybe $20 here or there, but not eight grand

“Oh” was all I could say

Dad, myself and Mrs. Jensen all went in town to the bank and I got the money and the lady at the bank notarized the title for us too.  I then went to the title office and then the BMV and got my license plates.  Finally a car that I could count on; and to top it all off, somebody bought the Honda from me that week!!

I drove it a lot every chance I got.  To the local lake, the big city, road trip to Cedar Point, then Kings Island.  As it got closer to going off to college I started to take more and more time off.  I had given notice to my two jobs months ago, so they started to cut back my hours, while giving them to other employees who would take my place; which was totally cool with me.

Going off to college was a scary time for me, first time being away from home for a long period of time.  I know my parents were scared too.  Dad rented a small U-Haul so we could move my bed, computer stuff, desk, dresser and some furniture he picked up at the goodwill.   I got an apartment with some friends that I knew from around home.

I soon settled into college life well, I had a few part time jobs assisting professors, working in the computer labs and tutoring.  Money was tight, but I still had my savings, and my parents were helping me to not have to use any of it.

Finally the spring semester let out, finals out of the way.  Time for some fun!