Two years have passed since I had been going to university and was using my mother's car. Although, I had to manage almost everything else as well but still I was not bothered about it. I could not say that it was never an inconvenience but I managed it throughout without any questions or complaints.
Saturdays are a blessing, there should be many Saturdays in a week, three at least so that a man can relax and not worry about any assignments, quizzes, and crushes. Today was a little different; we were going out to find me a ride and I was damn excited about it that I could not sleep the whole night.
In today's era, who even goes out searching? Everything was digital and digging into the online classified website was where I started. I had been clear about my choices my entire life, which was why I was looking for a coupe. As you might be aware, Coupes are personal vehicles designed for two people and I knew the second person would eventually turn out to be Jessica.
"This is going to take long; I need some help." I exclaimed when I got tired of scrolling down the list.
It would be better to call Sam to help me find a suitable ride.
"Hey Sam, are you free?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm free as always. What's up?" He replied.
"I need your help in finding a ride. Can you come over?"
"What, a ride?"
"Yes."
"That's nice. Sure man, I'm coming over!" He said in excitement.
"See you then." I replied as I hung up.
Within fifty minutes, Sam was knocking on my door. I welcomed him inside and told him about what I was looking for.
"Do you seriously want to buy a coupe?" He asked shockingly.
"Why, is that a problem?" I asked him as a counter-question.
"Get a four-door, man; it will be more fun than a coupe. We can cruise and enjoy ourselves. How are we supposed to do that in a Coupe?"
"Have you ever seen a Coupe?"
"Yes. It's a two-door two seated."
"You're even dumber than you look. No, it's a two-door four seated."
"Oh."
"Yeah, and for your kind information, we're not party people. We're civilized men and we will go out only occasionally, not every night."
"Oh." He replied in a low tone.
"Exactly, now let's search for something." I spoke.
We spent three more hours searching for a Coupe that looked appealing and did not have any problems with it. Only three were short-listed. One was a 1971 Ford Mustang, the second was a 1973 Chevrolet Camaro and the third was a 1965 Pontiac GTO.
"I think I'll go for the GTO." I said excitedly.
"What, that rust bucket?" Sam mocked my choice.
"Yes. That rustbucket caught my eye. Look at that gorgeous purple color."
"I kind of agree with you on the color though, but it's a bit beaten up."
"No worries, I'll manage."
"Listen, leave the GTO, and go for the Camaro. It's newer and in pretty good shape."
"No. The GTO it is."
"Okay, Eric. If you want that rust bucket, then the GTO it is." He said while agreeing with me.
The GTO seemed perfect, even with that prominent dent on the rear right fender. I would take it! Now the hard part was waiting for Dad to arrive so I can tell him about my choice. I hope he agreed too, like Sam. Although he did say that I could get whatever I want but still I hoped that he agreed.
The GTO was a two-door, four seated car. That means I can expect company at times, which is all right as long as it is only "at times". Exactly at 5:35 PM, Dad was home. He seemed fresh enough to hear my choice, but I should let him settle a little while before I told him. My wait lasted another thirty minutes.
"Dad, I've decided what car I want." I said hesitatingly.
"Oh great, which one is it?" He asked in a pleasant mood.
"It's a purple 1965 Pontiac GTO."
"1965?"
"Yes."
"Pontiac?"
"Yes."
"Purple?"
"Yes."
He was quiet for a few seconds, which was very alarming for me.
"Show me some photos." He said.
I quickly took out my phone and handed it over for him to see as I had preloaded the classified advertisement before he came home. He took my phone, started to swipe through the photos, and read the description.
"There is a dent on the rear right fender." He pointed out.
"Yes, I know." I replied.
"So this is your choice, no other option?"
"I've always loved this car. This is the only option I want to consider. Otherwise, I'll take any car you decide."
He thought for a few moments and then spoke.
"Okay then, talk to the guy and arrange a meeting point. We'll go to see the car in the morning, it's a 1965 model so the body doesn't matter, as long as it runs great." he replied with a considerably large smile.
I was overwhelmed that Dad agreed to a 1965 GTO. It was like a dream come true for me, considering it was a very old model. All my life, I had been up for the challenge but maintaining a 1965 model car was going to be the most difficult challenge, I had ever encountered.
The next step was discussing with the current owner of the GTO and setting up a meeting point so we could go, see the car and finalize the deal. Which was simple and within a few minutes, I was able to set one up.
"He's saying that we can meet tomorrow, in the evening." I reported to Dad.
"Alright, tell him to make it after 1 PM." Dad replied.
Tomorrow was the big day and I was very much excited about it. So much that I almost forgot about Jessica and everything else. I also forgot my university because I was a bit overwhelmed about getting the Pontiac. The best way to pass the time was by doing some assignments, which were due or watch some movies, but I decided to do assignments instead.
Like always, sleep went away for the entire night but my phone accompanied me. I scrolled through some of the modifications and upgrades I had thought about for the GTO like new shiny rims especially. Finding a suitable set was always a problem, it required hours of scrolling just to shortlist.
"Are you up? Hi, it's Ruby from your class" I got a text at 2 am.
It was strange that Ruby was texting me at this time.
"Yes, is everything alright?" I replied.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Sorry to disturb you at this hour Eric but there was something I wanted to share with you."
"Sure. Go ahead."
"I won't be able to be a part of your team for this semester, Eric. I'm sorry."
"Oh okay Ruby, Jessica had told me already. Do not worry about it. "
"Well, that's great. Hope you didn't mind that I had to bail."
"No. It is completely fine. Listen, it is getting quite late and I am feeling very sleepy. So I think it's better that we talk about this on Monday?"
"Yeah sure, see you, Eric."
"See you too."
Whew! That was a relief. Why did she even bother contacting me at this time? I told Jessica that it was fine, no problem. I think she just wanted to talk to me and this was merely an excuse. I guess I should sleep now. Tomorrow is a bit busy day as we have to go and see that GTO with Dad.
Mom woke me up at 12 the next day. In my excitement, I overslept. Immediately, I got up and went to freshen up. When I came downstairs, Dad was already up and sitting on the couch watching a movie.
"I thought you were excited about the new car you're getting." Dad asked with a smile.
"Yeah I am, in my excitement, I didn't sleep all night." I replied in a sleepy tone.
"Okay, so what's the plan? Where are we seeing the car?"
"He said that we can see it outside the HX mall."
"Well, that's convenient."
"Yeah, it is. He was saying that you can come any time after 1 pm."
"Alright, it's 12:20 right now. So I guess we'll leave in 30 minutes."
"That's great; I'll be ready in 10." I replied while munching on my breakfast.
After about 30 minutes, we were on the road heading to HX mall to see that GTO. Naturally, I was filled with excitement but my Dad had asked me to contain it as the seller might use it to his advantage so I had to put on my mean face. We took another 25 minutes to reach the HX Mall and the GTO was outside the mall parking. The first look at the GTO was mesmerizing; it was so damn beautiful that I could not even describe it. When I moved towards my Dad, I caught him admiring the GTO as well. I guess he too found it one of a kind.
"Dad, I think you should take it for a spin." I said in a very hurried fashion.
"No. It is your car and you are the one who is going to drive it, therefore you should be the one to take it out on a spin and test the car according to your driving needs. Besides, I'm too old to drive a car like this although it is as old as me." Dad replied while patting my shoulder.
I took it for a spin and the outcome was amazing, it was such a good drive that I could not resist it and immediately decided that it was a pass. I even did not mind the considerably bold dent on the rear right fender as overall, it was a maintained car and we both could see it.
After 2 hours of viewing, reviewing, negotiating, and renegotiating, we were finally able to make a deal with the previous owner, and finally, after 2 days of waiting this GTO was now mine.
No words could describe my feelings as I sat in the GTO as its new owner, the sense of fulfillment and responsibility filled the entire cabin. Finally, it was now time to take it home, the aggressive engine and butter-soft steering was surely a treat. It went through corners and underpasses like a charm because it was all about those smiles per kilometer. After 20 minutes, my first joyride ended as I parked it on the driveway and my mother stepped out. She was in awe; it was indeed a very gorgeous car. She has always admired my choices and this time as well, she was deeply impressed.
"I don't know about the rest, but the color is so appealing. I've never seen anything like it before." She remarked while hugging me.
This moment was something out of the world; I did not consider the fact that this old GTO will make a huge impact on my life since the first time I had it rolled onto our driveway. I again felt proud of being the owner of this beauty.
"Eric, I think you should look for a new set of rims and tires for it, they look quite beaten up. Here's some money you can use to make it according to your needs." Dad spoke as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
With that, I got the money without even asking for it. He has always taken care of what I had ever wanted and tried his best to set a good example for me.
"Thanks a lot, Dad." I replied while hugging him and taking the money.
We both stood there admiring the GTO and forgot about the time that was passed.
"Can I take Sam along to find a good set?" I asked Dad after a while.
"Sure, why not. Have fun and take care. It's very powerful and I know only you can contain its power." Dad replied.
I took out my phone and I immediately dialed Sam.
"Sam. Guess what?" I shouted on the phone.
"What?" Sam replied in a worried tone.
"I got that GTO."
"Did your Dad agree?"
"Yeah, I got it. I'm driving it right now and I'm on my way to pick you up."
"Oh. I'll get changed then."
"Yeah, see you in a bit." I replied as I ended the call.
I drove with the windows down to Sam's house, when he stepped out of his home and saw the GTO; the purple paint blew his mind.
"You still think I should've gone for the Camaro?" I asked Sam.
"Oh no man, I was so damn wrong about it. You have proven me wrong again. I am impressed. That is a gorgeous purple. It's even more appealing than in the photos." he replied in appreciation.
"Come on, I haven't got all day. Let's go."
"Can I drive?"
"I'm not sure if you can handle the power yet, it's aggressive." I replied with a smile.
"So are you going to name it at least?" Sam Asked.
"Yes, I will call her Roxie."
"Roxie?"
"Yes."
"You are aware of the fact that you have a weird naming convention, right?" Sam taunted me.
I shrugged off his taunt with a poker face. Later, we went out to the market to find a new set of rims and tires. After 2 to 3 hours of searching, we were able to find a decent set within our range. In all my excitement, I completely ignored all the text messages I was receiving, but then my phone rang and it was Jessica. I immediately attended the call.
"Hello." I greeted in a polite tone.
"Hey, are you busy?" Jessica questioned me in a sad tone.
"Not at all, is everything alright?" I asked politely in return.
"Yes, you weren't replying so I thought I'd call. I just- Anyway, it was a mistake, see you at university. Take care, Eric." She said in a hurried tone and hung up.
That was strange, hope she was all right. When I finally unlocked my phone there were 16 messages from Jessica. She wanted me to help her out with something. Might be something related to the course or something else, I will ask her tomorrow then. When I looked up, I saw Sam staring at my face.
"What was that all about?" he enquired as well.
"Nothing, it was a girl from University." I replied in a worried tone.
"Okay, but is everything alright?"
"Yeah, everything is fine. Let's just get home. I'm tired."
I did not speak to Sam after that, as the whole thought of what Jessica must be going through was pinching my mind. Normally, she wanted to talk to me but why did she bail? I dropped off Sam at his place and headed home while I was still thinking about her.
The following day, I started Roxie for her first trip to University. When I came into the class, Jessica was sitting all alone in the corner. Again, she was lost in her thoughts and was not conscious of her surroundings. I went up to her and stood next to the desk.
"Hey, are you alright?" I asked in a polite tone.
"Oh hey, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." She replied while looking up to me. A smile took over her sad face immediately.
"Is there something you want to share?"
"I don't think I can."
"Come on."
"It's my problem I should deal with it myself."
"No, you're not supposed to deal with it alone." I tried to comfort her while sitting on the seat in front of her.
"I don't want you to think bad about me."
"Jessica, come on? Why would I do that? You can be open with me, it's okay. I don't mind."
"Alright, can I sit next to you then?"
"Sure, come on." I replied as I moved to the next seat.
Jessica got up, gathered her things, and sat next to me.
"You know; I knew I could talk to you about it. That was why I called you last night, but I could not muster up the courage to say it that was why I hung up. I've been feeling bad about it since then." She spoke confidently.
"Yes, you can talk to me about anything you want." I replied with a smile.
"My ex-boyfriend is bothering me."
"You mean Eric White? What happened, how did he turn ex?"
"How did you know his name? Anyhow, we had a brief relationship, which I ended recently. He started getting on my nerves lately."
"Oh."
"I've had enough of it and we ended it in agreement but now he wants me to start it all over again because he's quite troublesome and controlling."
"Do you want me to intervene and find a way out for you?" I asked in a friendly tone.
There was an awkward silence as Jessica was looking into my eyes now.
"Why do you want to help me?" She asked in a reserved manner.
"It's because I don't want you to be worried about that troublesome White. He should not be bothering you. I regard you as my friend and I will help you out no matter what." I replied confidently this time.
"Are we friends?"
"Are we not?"
"I didn't say we were either. We haven't even introduced ourselves to each other properly."
"Okay, then. Hi, I am Eric Brown. Can we be friends?" I asked in a bold manner extending my hand.
"Oh hi, I'm Jessica. Sure, we can be friends." She replied with a smile and shaking my hand.
Now that was something worth accomplishing. I had become friends with Jessica. That was indeed an achievement.
"So, what do you want me to do with White?" I asked.
"Kill him for me."
"What?" I was shocked and frightened.
"Look at your face." She pointed at me before bursting out in laughter.
"Ha-ha, very funny."
"Nothing dummy, leave him. I'll manage."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Just be ready with a shovel."
"What?" my eyes popped out.
"I'm kidding." She replied to calm me down by putting her hand on my shoulder.
"Great, so can we please go get some food? I didn't have breakfast before leaving because I was worried about you."
"Aw, that's so sweet of you Eric. I am fine. Come on let's go and eat. I didn't do breakfast myself either."
With that, we both got up and left for the Café. I did not know that Jessica was a heck of a prankster. She got me when she asked me to kill White. The good thing is that she was just joking about it; I got so scared about it.