Maverick Love Affair
Working in the South Georgia tobacco fields during the week and babysitting at night and on weekends, I had managed to save a whopping $1500.00. It was 1976, and my Dad had agreed to go car shopping with me that weekend, I knew I couldn’t buy a brand new car, but I thought I could probably walk away with a pretty decent used car for my money.
A new car in 1976 was going for about $3500.00. I remember this because a couple of years later after my love affair with my first car was tragically over, I actually bought a brand new Toyota corolla. Today, however, I knew that whatever I bought would have to be paid for when I walked away from the lot because asking my parents to sign a note was not something that even crossed my mind. For some strange reason, My Dad started shopping in Pearson, Georgia which is a small podunk town near where we live. You have to understand, Valdosta, Georgia was twenty miles in the other direction! While it was not the thriving metropolis then that it is today, they at least had car lots.
I was telling myself this as my Dad drove in the direction of Podunk, USA. In my head, I was thinking that my Dad had just volunteered to go shopping with me thinking that I would not find a car that I could afford. In my heart, I knew that my Dad had spoiled me completely rotten. If he had had a million dollars in the bank, he would have signed over ever dollar to me. I was his chosen one. In my head, I was thinking that he was sabotaging my car shopping. While we were riding the twenty miles to Pearson, I was trying to figure out which one of my friends I could talk into going car shopping with me the next week because there was no way I was going to buy a car from Pearson, Georgia! I was still pouting when we stopped at the only read light in the small town.
We slowly drove through the heart of town, and what do you know, a used car lot appeared! In my cocky little mind, I didn’t believe that the country hick people from this small town even drove cars. In 1976, they were surely still driving horse and buggies. Why else would they be living in this God forsaken place?
In the very back of the lot, I spotted a splash of lime green. Just like the sunshine, this splash of green attracted my immediate attention. In my mind, that was the only car on the lot. A 1970 lime green maverick with a checkerboard vinyl top was sitting back there as if she had been parked just for me. You’ve seen those tacky movies when the girl and boy run across the beach in slow motion until they collide as if they were made for each other. Well, it was like this for me and the mav. Looking back, I can almost see the car and I running slowly toward each other until we met and became one. For the first time in my life, I was in love – with a car?
Seconds later, this short, bald, round man came out of the little out house looking office. Of course, he totally ignored me and shook hands with my Daddy. To this day, car salesmen still do this to me. They assume whoever is with me, usually my husband, is the one with the money. This annoys me. I don’t know anything about cars so I usually take a man with me. That doesn’t mean that I am going to let them choose my car, and it definitely doesn’t mean that they are the one with the money! Well, Mr. Roundy, which is what I have called him for the last thirty-one years when I tell this story, asked my Dad, “What can we help you with today?”
Looking at me, Daddy explained, “Donna, my daughter, has worked hard and saved her money. She has the cash to pay for a car today, and she wants to test drive the little green maverick.”
Getting excited, Mr. Roundy replied, “Sure, just let me get the keys.” He huffed and puffed in the South Georgia heat as he attempted (without success) to trot back to the office.
He was a little over excited and sweating profusely when he returned, and I remember thinking that they must not make many sales here. Surely, they couldn’t be asking much money for the little car. Looking back now, I think the man was psychic or he could see through my wallet to my check book balance. Strangely enough, the $1500.00 in my wallet was the exact amount on the bottom line of the agreement he drew up. I wrote him a check, and drove away broke!
After borrowing enough money from my Dad to buy a tag and the first six month insurance payment, I drove my car to school. All of my friends made fun of her! Of course, these are the friends whose parents bought them new yellow mustangs for their sixteenth birthdays! Their ridicule did not diminish my feelings for my little car. It was my little cars failure to crank upon demand that finally did it in with she and I. Over the next two years, I learned to pop the hood and flip some little device to get her to crank. I also had a couple of blow outs in one week, and strangely enough, the same man stopped both times to help me change my tire. Today, I see the creepiness in this, but then I was just relieved to be on my way. My little lime green maverick and I spent some quality time together, and I would love to know what happened to her after I threw her away for a bright shiny new car.
A new car in 1976 was going for about $3500.00. I remember this because a couple of years later after my love affair with my first car was tragically over, I actually bought a brand new Toyota corolla. Today, however, I knew that whatever I bought would have to be paid for when I walked away from the lot because asking my parents to sign a note was not something that even crossed my mind. For some strange reason, My Dad started shopping in Pearson, Georgia which is a small podunk town near where we live. You have to understand, Valdosta, Georgia was twenty miles in the other direction! While it was not the thriving metropolis then that it is today, they at least had car lots.
I was telling myself this as my Dad drove in the direction of Podunk, USA. In my head, I was thinking that my Dad had just volunteered to go shopping with me thinking that I would not find a car that I could afford. In my heart, I knew that my Dad had spoiled me completely rotten. If he had had a million dollars in the bank, he would have signed over ever dollar to me. I was his chosen one. In my head, I was thinking that he was sabotaging my car shopping. While we were riding the twenty miles to Pearson, I was trying to figure out which one of my friends I could talk into going car shopping with me the next week because there was no way I was going to buy a car from Pearson, Georgia! I was still pouting when we stopped at the only read light in the small town.
We slowly drove through the heart of town, and what do you know, a used car lot appeared! In my cocky little mind, I didn’t believe that the country hick people from this small town even drove cars. In 1976, they were surely still driving horse and buggies. Why else would they be living in this God forsaken place?
In the very back of the lot, I spotted a splash of lime green. Just like the sunshine, this splash of green attracted my immediate attention. In my mind, that was the only car on the lot. A 1970 lime green maverick with a checkerboard vinyl top was sitting back there as if she had been parked just for me. You’ve seen those tacky movies when the girl and boy run across the beach in slow motion until they collide as if they were made for each other. Well, it was like this for me and the mav. Looking back, I can almost see the car and I running slowly toward each other until we met and became one. For the first time in my life, I was in love – with a car?
Seconds later, this short, bald, round man came out of the little out house looking office. Of course, he totally ignored me and shook hands with my Daddy. To this day, car salesmen still do this to me. They assume whoever is with me, usually my husband, is the one with the money. This annoys me. I don’t know anything about cars so I usually take a man with me. That doesn’t mean that I am going to let them choose my car, and it definitely doesn’t mean that they are the one with the money! Well, Mr. Roundy, which is what I have called him for the last thirty-one years when I tell this story, asked my Dad, “What can we help you with today?”
Looking at me, Daddy explained, “Donna, my daughter, has worked hard and saved her money. She has the cash to pay for a car today, and she wants to test drive the little green maverick.”
Getting excited, Mr. Roundy replied, “Sure, just let me get the keys.” He huffed and puffed in the South Georgia heat as he attempted (without success) to trot back to the office.
He was a little over excited and sweating profusely when he returned, and I remember thinking that they must not make many sales here. Surely, they couldn’t be asking much money for the little car. Looking back now, I think the man was psychic or he could see through my wallet to my check book balance. Strangely enough, the $1500.00 in my wallet was the exact amount on the bottom line of the agreement he drew up. I wrote him a check, and drove away broke!
After borrowing enough money from my Dad to buy a tag and the first six month insurance payment, I drove my car to school. All of my friends made fun of her! Of course, these are the friends whose parents bought them new yellow mustangs for their sixteenth birthdays! Their ridicule did not diminish my feelings for my little car. It was my little cars failure to crank upon demand that finally did it in with she and I. Over the next two years, I learned to pop the hood and flip some little device to get her to crank. I also had a couple of blow outs in one week, and strangely enough, the same man stopped both times to help me change my tire. Today, I see the creepiness in this, but then I was just relieved to be on my way. My little lime green maverick and I spent some quality time together, and I would love to know what happened to her after I threw her away for a bright shiny new car.
posted by Donna at
9:29 AM
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