My First Car

I’m sixteen and hitchhiking from McMinnville to Livingston every weekend to see Debbie.  I would get out of class at Central High School at 3:00 and hit the road. My hitchhiking was always adventurous, and not usually in a good way. The fifty five mile trip would usually consist of several rides and lots of walking. The police in all the towns from McMinnville to Livingston recognized me and would detain me if they saw me. I often would spend a day of weekend in jail just because they could. Occasionally two or three rides would take me the distance. More often, it would take a lot of short rides and long walks to make the trip. On one such trip, I had walked from school to Gillentines, a small restaurant at the edge of town, a walk of about three mile, when a guy from the Automotive School picked me up.  He lived in Livingston and drove the trip between Livingston and McMinnville everyday to go to school. We made arrangements for me to ride with him to and from Livingston. It also meant that I would stay in Livingston on Sunday nights and ride with him on Monday mornings. It was a perfect arrangement for me.

He drove a gray fifty two Chevy two door sedan. He had the body in show condition with a beautiful shiny charcoal gray paint. He had totally restored the car. He had rebuilt the motor, drive train, breaks, and front end. It was his project in school, but he was a man with a plan. He was getting out of Livingston and going to Detroit to work in the automotive plants. He finished school and got that job with General Motors. I was sadden that I was losing my ride, but I also had got to know him and had gained a lot of respect for his kindness and his ambition, and I was going to miss the time together.

I was working the weekend at Ms. McKnight’s laundry mat in Livingston. Ms. McKnight was a retired nurse from Murfreesboro. She had bought a laundry mat in Livingston. She would come in on Fridays and leave on Sunday Afternoon. She had a back room that I could stay in when she wasn’t there. I would spend my Sunday night in the back room, and this is where I would meet my ride on Monday morning. I would work on any machines that needed repaired on Saturday and Sunday. Between this and other odd jobs, I had saved some money and I was doing okay.

His last day of school was soon there and we were making the final trip to Livingston together. He was finished in McMinnville and would be leaving for his new job with General Motors. He surprised me with saying that he would like to sell the car to me. He was buying a new car with his General Motors discount. It was beyond belief that I would get this car. I had been so dreading losing this ride and going back to hitchhiking. I had ridden with him for a year and had grown use to the security. I also was becoming increasing sick with a tumor and wasn’t sure that I could endure the cold weather. I had not anticipated getting this car. The next day was a Saturday; he came by the laundry mat to sell me the car. He had cleaned and waxed the car. He ash me how much money did I have and I told him two hundred twenty five dollars. He said that is what he would sell the car for. I knew that he was doing me a big favor, because he could have sold it for much more.  I couldn’t believe my luck as I slide in behind the wheel for the first time. Not only was it a beautiful car, but it was a security for me.

No other car has been as exciting to own as this first car, not only because of the car, or that it was the first, but because of the kindness that this person shown in making it possible for me to have it.  When I look back on the years that I was alone and struggling to get by, I realize that I got by as well as I did because of the help of people around me, people that quietly gave me a hand without reveling to me that they were giving me a helping hand.