The Investment's Car

The Investment finally has his car running.

This has been a long hard struggle for him, to get his 1971 Datsun 510 from a lump of metal to a lump of metal that works.

Oh, it's beat up as shit, there is no insulation inside, so, road noise is huge, the heat comes off the engine.... you open the passenger door from the outside. Windows don't roll up perfectly, and the transmission is missing a gear.

But.

He got it running. He knew nothing about cars, didn't grow up around a dad, my father was not in any condition to help... he bought this car from a woman who swore it was in great shape, she had a husband in Iraq (like his brother at the time), she was a Christian, she said... trust her.

And, he paid her a down payment, scrimped and saved and paid her on time every month until he paid it off. She sold him a huge lemon.

Sure, he gets a bit down at times... he'll get one thing done, and then something else goes bad.

But.

He's learned to re-build a car, he has a look of pride when he gets in it, he has made this thing run.

We zipped around town, laughing at how loud it is, and he told me his work he wants to do.... how he's going to get the transmission replaced, going on and on. I listen, having no idea what headers are or what they do, feeling pride in this 6'5" lanky bo...no, man, with his knees up under the steering wheel... me unable to turn towards him because the seat belt cuts me across the neck, and he talks of the new ones that will go in.

We drive down the street, the car with a few different colours on it, some rust... the guy who passed it for inspection was picked up for heroin possession last week, explaining now how the car managed to pass. We zip between other cars, his voice telling me about how this model raced, and on and on.

I'm proud of him. I'm always proud of him, of his siblings... here, though... he's worked hard, he kept on persevering, he is sticking with this project. We laugh about the car, but, our laughter is tinged with pride... his for having a car that runs, mine for what he's come to, from where he once was. And, I can see where he'll go, now, as he's gaining his confidence in who he is, what he can do when he puts himself forward. He's starting to believe in himself. Yes, I can see all the places he'll go.

More than likely, driving that car.