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Sunday, June 11, 2017

One gas tank


       It was the early summer of my 20th year, when I bought my very first car, a four door 1992 white geo metro for 3 thousands dollars. It had been my Grandma's car then needed a whole new engine so with my savings I was able to buy it from her and get it fixed up to hit the road!
My brother Derek and I were excited the evening our father drove it home, the sun was about to set for the evening out  into the horizon surrounding our farmland. I was jumping up and down in my excitement to have my very own car! I was clapping my hands and squealing, Derek was impressed too since we rode around together every where usually.
For up to this moment I had been driving "The Titanic." our old family car, a 1979 chevy caprice classic in which held 4 people in the back and 4 people in the front if we needed. 
I drove that car called "The Titanic."  from the age of 17 to 20, with the duck tape side door and open wires to touch in order to roll down the window. I used colorful blankets to keep the back seat from falling apart and it always smell like vanilla even thought I never revealed where the air freshener was! HA!
(For I liked being classy in my classic huge worn out car as much as I could) Of course I was always proud of my wheels whatever they were but then I bought my very own car and it changed my life!
That new little Geo was just my size!
My brother Derek and I jumped into it the moment our father said it needed gas and from now on I was responsible for it.
So we hit those country roads with our windows rolled down, with the summer time smell of mint fields surrounding us as we headed out to the near by small town of Homedale Idaho to get gas for my new car!
What a magical night that was! 
As Derek jumped out to pump the gas I went into the store to pay with my usual budgeted gas money, I said to the clerk in my usual cheerful way "I'm paying for gas at pump 2. That's my new car!" the clerk nodded saying "That will be $9.95." I explain "Oh no, I am filling it all the way this time." The clerk glanced back at the register saying "Okay....so it's still 9.95?" I was confused so I leaned through the glass doors telling my brother Derek who was putting the pump back in place. "Hey, Hey, Go ahead and fill it all the way up." He walked towards me nodding his head explaining "I already did." The clerk at the register was waiting for me to pay as I stood there in surprise that Derek had already finished pumping gas. I turned back to the register as it read "$9.95." I was bewildered as I handed over my cash to the clerk while Derek stood beside explaining "I just assumed you wanted to filled all the way so I did that. Ya know, Geo metros get great gas mileage so that will help ya save more money from now on too." I was so surprised by all the cash I got back from my 20 dollar bill that I squealed and jumped up and down again even hugging Derek while he looked amused at me shaking his head and chuckling as I exclaimed "THIS is the GREATEST night EVER!" 
The whole gas station of people coming and going where laughing at me as I explained "MY car, my wonderful new car only takes 10 bucks to fill! YIPPY! HOORAY! Look at ALL this money I got back!?! I can't believe this!!!???" 
The clerk was chuckling and Derek was trying to quiet me down while still smiling as I declared "Derek, YOU can buy anything you want in here! Anything you ever wanted to try it's yours! It's my treat, I have all this extra cash now for treats, for ANYTHING in here! Oh wow! Yippy! Ooooooh I love you new car, I love you so much!" Derek didn't waste any time grabbing 2 candy bars and 2 sodas as we hit the road for I was truly happy for in my old car IF I filled it completely full it was around 30 or 40 dollars so this new vehicle only cost me under 10 bucks! It simply blew my mind, Oh what a night to remember! I still had cash in my pocket!
Derek unwrapped my candy bar for me as I drove out into the summer night feeling excited about our safe full tank of gas drive all over the country side before our curfew. The summer time stars were out while the country music played as we burped loudly over our sodas while laughing together along those wide open roads! Derek said with a smirk "You would of thought that you had won the lottery, the way you jumped up and down in getting cash back." I explained with a proud smile "Well, I have never gotten change back before usually they would tell me that I am 5 dollars short so I have to run out to my emergency cash in order to pay for gas, so this is WONDERFUL! This is going to be a GREAT car and This is also a great night to remember!" Derek nodded and said "Thanks for the treats by the way........although you won't save any money if you do that EVERY time." We laughed as I drove us on home.


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