It was a strange situation

It was a strange situation. A few days ago it was decided that we had to get rid of our old car. It was still functioning, but the number of times it was failing had increased above the point where it just did not make sense to repair it again. It was clear we'd be better off driving a final drive with the old car to the scrapyard and buying a new car.

In the end we even skipped the last drive. A tow truck showed up at the appointed time and carried the car to the scrapyard. It was a very efficient service, businesslike and clean. It was free too. I stood there as the car was being towed to the truck. I asked the guys if they minded me standing there. They couldn't care less. I must have looked like a complete fool to them. To be honest, after a while I even started to find my behaviour a bit odd and I just left.

So yes, it was a strange situation. We bought that car in 1996, a few months after A was born. Shortly after that we drove our first drive to Germany, the first of the many more that followed. We lived a good fraction of our lives with that old car being part of our belongings and of our daily routine. We grew old and more experienced during all the years that passed. It was handed to L when she reached adulthood, and that was already a little goodbye. But nothing comparable to the final farewell we went through last Wednesday. It was as if part of our memories were leaving us, it had some weird significance, and it was all the most unromantic.

At dinner I told M about those feelings I had as the scrapyard guys were doing their work. I emphasized my surprise to have felt somewhat miserable at the sight of that old banger disappearing. Giggling, she replied she had been thinking about the car the whole day long.