Hank is in Heaven …

He came today, the grinning reaper. All toothless and pony-tailed, he looked as if he’d been through many a battle, kind of all vet-like and proud, except he couldn’t have been fifty.

He knocked at the door, all skinny frame and slow smile.

‘You got the keys?’, he asked.

‘They’re in the glove box, just as I was instructed’. I answered earnestly.

‘Doors are locked’, he sniffed.

(Idiot. How dumb can I get?)

‘Um, sorry, I, um, forgot the part about you getting in the car to get the keys. You could break in, the pin hole where someone broke in before is under the door handle, it’s rusted, try that’. I offered, hopefully.

‘Broke into a few cars in my day, shouldn’t be a problem’. He shrugged and walked toward his tow truck.

I couldn’t resist. I grabbed my boots, and jacket and went out to watch.
Sure enough he had the door open within a few minutes, with an old car antenna.

‘I wasn’t sure if this was the car. I always check the VIN number on the dash, but your note said it all. This is the first time there was an apology to the neighbors on a car.’ he said looking at me like the idiot I appear to be.
The note said the car was going to Car Heaven and would be picked up soon, sorry for the inconvenience and the eye sore.

‘If you look carefully, you’ll notice that all my neighbors are standing in their doorways, beaming with hapiness that this crate is going.’ I said surreptitiously.

He glanced about.

Caught looking, some of the neighbors came outside to cheer on the removal process. I’d like to say a parade formed but that would be a lie.

And so with the neighbors waving, the driver shaking his head and me smiling like an idiot, Hank went to Car Heaven.

Car Heaven will take your old car off your hands for a tax receipt of about $60 which can be bestowed on the charity of your choice. So, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers has $60. more today, I can love my new car without the guilt of Hank looking on and hopefully somewhere, someone might remember not to drive home tonight after a few too many. It would be nice if Hank didn’t die in vain.

So long, my sweet chariot.