Sitting in the Car

Many years ago, and I am old enough that it may have been as many as forty or fifty, I read of a man who followed an eccentric practice each year, on or about the same date.

Although advanced in years, he had maintained a car from his college days. It was not an unusual or classic car in any sense of the word. It was just a common car that had been cheap enough for him to have bought and used during his college years. He did not use the car. He kept it in storage at a garage, out of the weather and elements.

The proprietors of the garage knew the drill. They knew they were to give the car a good airing and cleaning as the annual special day approached. Furthermore, they checked the systems and restored the car to roadworthy condition each year, as though it were being returned to normal use.

Finally, on the special day, the man would arrive and make his way alone to the car that was kept in an out of the way portion of the garage. The man would enter the car and sit quietly in the driver’s seat. After some twenty to thirty minutes, he would start the engine, continuing his vigil in place. After a few additional minutes he would turn off the engine, exit the car, return to his car outside and drive away, having completed his pilgrimage for yet another year.

No one knew why he followed this practice; neither his friends nor the people at the garage. Finally, however, upon approaching ninety years of age and with dwindling health, he elected to share his story with a friend of many years, who had never imposed by asking about his friend’s unusual practice.

Part of the story is a common one. He had been in love with a lovely young woman when in college, and she with him. However, Cupid’s arrow gradually loosened and fell from the pretty young woman’s shoulder and her ardor waned. The young man was ultimately forced to hear the unbearable words that so many have heard throughout the history of mankind. The young woman no longer loved him and was bringing the relationship to an end.

The young man was heartbroken. He and she had affirmed their love for one another and often spoken of a life together following completion of their educations. It was not to be. The young woman was adamant in her decision and would brook no return to the relationship.

Although the days were dark, the months and years continued for the young man, and other relationships were attempted over the years. But none could approach the intensity of the love he had felt for his college sweetheart. She truly had been the love of his life and he could find no happiness with any other woman.

Although he purchased other modern cars throughout his life, he had elected to keep the car in which he had spoken of shared love with the woman of his youth. As he sat there each year his memories returned to the time when he had told her of his love for her, and when he had heard her beautiful words pledging the same to him.

The car had also experienced the waveforms of the spoken words and was the only entity with whom the man could share the memories of his love from the past.

Sometimes a flower does not progress to full bloom but falls to the ground unfulfilled.