her first car on credit, a new milestone.
It's a cute little car. Green, her favorite color. Even though the car is used, and was completely detailed
by the car lot, she had to wash it from bumper to bumper, vacuum it, and add some kind of flowery
deodorant thingie. Then came the obligatory stuffed animal for the back window and the tassels from
her graduation cap, hanging from the rear view.
Once the inside was to her liking she plastered a couple of bumper stickers on the rear end to let the
world know something about her, in case they might have mistaken her for just another driver.
Then, as it does with all of us, her obligation to the bank began to sink in, and the worry started--hers
and mine.
She made her first payment two weeks early. She saved the money, sat down, wrote out the check and
mailed it off. I don't know who was prouder—me or her. Some kids are meticulous about such things
and others develop a lackadaisical, “it will all work out somehow” attitude about money. I have kids in
both categories, and worried which she would fall into.
“My insurance is due in two weeks,” she murmured one afternoon, as we sat at the table playing cards.
“Yep,” I said. “But you'll have a paycheck between now and then, and you should be fine.”
“What if I'm not? What if I don't get enough hours?”
“Well, this is part of the program. You have to make sure you get enough hours. You have to talk to the
manager and make sure you're on the schedule often enough.” I discarded, and met her eyes across
the table.
“I did.”
“And?”
“I think I am.”
“Well ... stay on top of it, keep track.”
“What if I just have enough money to pay it, and none left over? I have to wait two weeks to get paid
again, what'll I do for money?”
“Well, honey, it's a trade-off. Is it more important to have your own car? Or is it more important to have
money for a few nights at the mall or at the movies, and no ride?”
“It'd be nice to have both.”
“Welcome to the world of high finance.”
We went back to playing cards, and then ...
“The sticker on the windshield says I have to have the oil changed in another 2,600 miles. How much
does that cost?”
“About $25.”
“What if I go over the miles?”
“Well, a few miles won't hurt, but you need to try and stay on schedule as best you can.”
“What if I get a flat tire?”
“You have a spare.”
“I do?” She gaped at me, complete and utter amazement registering in large, almond-shaped, brown
eyes.
“Sure, you do.”
“You checked?”
“Your dad checked before he made the deal with the salesman. He checked everything. He also got
you an extended 3-year, bumper to bumper warranty.”
She sighed in relief, enthusiastically enough to flutter cards across the table. We smiled at each other
as we righted them. She discarded her last card, and I sighed.
“Beat 'ya,” she said, victorious.
“You sure did. Wanna play again?”
“Nah ... I wanna go look over my budget.”
She was gone maybe 10 minutes before she returned and flung herself down on the couch, burying
her face in her hands.
“I'm sunk, I'm ruined, it's over!” she wailed.
“What?”
I just stared. How could everything have gone so wrong in less than 10 minutes?
“Mom! My car payment is due on the first of the month! The FIRST! That's less than two weeks away!
Look at the payment stub,” she waved a slip of paper at me. “I have to pay my insurance at the same
time, and I'm only going to make so much money. How can I pay them both at the same time?”
I crossed the room and took the slip and studied it and then sat down beside her.
“Sweetie, look at the date. This says the next payment is due August 1st. You already made the July
payment two weeks early, remember? You're not due again for 6 weeks.”
“I did? It's not? I mean--I'm not?”
I laughed, and watched as the worry melted from her, leaving her weak, and giggling, and suddenly
knew without a doubt which category she fell into. That's not to say that there won't be obstacles; lost
jobs, miscalculations, unexpected expenses. Having been through it all myself, I knew what she could
expect, but in my heart I know she'll persevere. She has the right attitude and as a mom, I can't ask for
any more than that.
Excerpts from
upcoming
short story collection
"DOGS
I HAVE
LOVED"
WOW! Women on Writing Spring 2007 Flash Fiction Contest
2nd Place
1st Place
2nd Place
Near miss ... thanks for all the support!
2nd Place
Commendation ... Only USA Open Short
Story entry recognized
cooking if I don't want to — and about not having anybody to cook for.
There is a difference and it's a double-edged sword. It's about learning who I
am, what I want ... and where I want to go. I suppose in time I'll know.
States. It speaks a language that rural readers understand and appreciate, and
has been proven to be a welcome addition to any publication that is
distributed all or in part, to a rural audience.
life issues and is predominantly
humorous, although sometimes
thought-provoking and touching.
It deals with observations, raising
children, and true life experiences.
this section, which is added to regularly.
~~~~~
"Nothing so keenly illustrates pure, unbridled joy, like an ecstatic greeting from a 4-month-old pup
after an extended leave."
~~~~~
"There's no law, written or otherwise, that says that just because a boys eyes are open and he's
looking at you, that he is in any way shape or form, actually awake."
~~~~~
"I didn't bother to tell her that the blasted things could grow in a sidewalk crack in the middle of a
10-year drought, and that if I had a nickel for every one of them that I'd picked out of my hair and off
my clothes, I would be living in a mansion and selling gold-plated pigs."
~~~~~
"What was that?" I asked the dog, who pricked her ears briefly and then relaxed them.
"It's that crazy cat," her eyes said, as I scratched her behind the ear.
"Odd for her to come out when there's a human around, isn't it?"
"She's sick."
"How do you know?"
"Look at her, are ya blind?"
Just what I needed ... a sick cat and a smart-ass dog.
