Love and Car Trouble (or, a brief history of my life with D)

This morning as D and I drove to work, we noticed that the Kia was making a sound. Now, the Kia makes a lot of sounds and usually I'm the one who makes a fuss over them. But today D commented on it, and that's how I knew it was serious. I would call it a whine or a growl. Whatever it's classified as, it was particularly disconcerting because D and I have a road trip planned for tonight to Greensboro, NC. Then it hit me... of course the Kia would act up today. You see, D and I have a history, a long history, of car trouble and road trips.

It all started way back when we were dating. It was Easter 1995 and D and I went down to MLB and visited with my Dad. So I took D around MLB to show him the historical landmarks of my childhood and the Omni broke down on us. We had the alternator replaced and got on with our visit. We started back for CN and while still in FL, it broke down again. If I remember correctly, Daddy and another man drove up to where we broke down, installed a new battery, and we drove the Omni back to MLB for more work.

Later the same year, D took me to KY to look at a wedding dress, which a friend of the family had purchased for me, and to have it altered. The car (and we're not positive if it was the Omni or the Cavalier) broke down in Lake City, TN. To this day, neither one of us can drive through, or by, Lake City without a sense of dread. Personally, I hold my breath. We had just gassed up the car and were driving back towards the interstate when it broke down. It was too far to push the car back to the station so we had to have it towed. It was the timing belt and they didn't have the part in stock so we had to stay in Lake City overnight. Additionally, the garage man refused to take a check. He drove us to the local bank and it turned out that we didn't have enough money in our account. Then something happened that I will never forget.... the teller gave us her own money. So, we finally did get out of TN and into KY. And later that weekend I found out that Daddy had cancer... but that's another story.

So, fast forward to the Neon. We had moved to G'ville and rented the townhouse off Whitehorse Road. We were about to drive to Myrtle Beach and we noticed there was glass all over the driveway. Someone had busted the window out to check the car for money. They hit two other cars on our street.

D and I both loved the Neon. But, after the accident which claimed it's life, we purchased the Sable. It was beautiful car, even Granddaddy thought so. D and I drove to VA the very week we bought it. I was a bridesmaid in JN's wedding. We stopped at a gas station and the car wouldn't start again. I was absolutely livid, we had just purchased the thing. Little sirens were going off in my head, screaming lemon, lemon, lemon. Let me tell you what JN did. She knew that they were going to London for a week and she would not need her car (also a Sable). So, she just handed over her keys and we drove her Sable back to G'ville while ours was in the shop in VA. But wait, there's more! JN's Dad (who used to be a truck driver and still uses any excuse to get out on the open road), drove our Sable back to us and drove her Sable home. That's a four hour trip each way!

Which brings us all the way up to the Kia. It apparently has a bad Power Steering hose. I'm grateful it's not anything major. Looking back on all our experiences, reviewing how so many people have selflessly helped us over the years... I am truly grateful. And no matter what kind of stress our cars give us, I know that D and I will comfort each other through it all.