MADNESS I tell ya!!!
About that time Dash is driving past a used car lot we have talked about stopping into and I look over at him totally deflated and say,"Do you realize the cost of a cab for the remainder of the month is a car payment?"
And I see the wheels creaking to a screeching halt in his head as he tries to rectify our current credit score with the possibility that I will be spending more than we can afford to burn on cabs. Sort of dumbfounded he asks beseeching me not to say yes,"Do you want to stop at the car dealership?"
Up to this point we've been volleying the pros and cons of buying me a car for 9 months and the numbers won't mesh no matter how hard we try. Of course those puppy eyes and the reality that has always been my luck seep out into my words,"No."
We don't even make it half a block and I can't take one more second of this shit. We work so hard for so little pay and then it's one more thing dragging us down. But it's ALWAYS one more fucking thing!!! I look him dead in the face,"Turn around."
He does and I can feel us both putting on our armor, you know the thick skinned kind that's prepared to hear "NO" for the billionth time.
As we park a salesman is walking out with 2 customers and we're doing our best not to look poor. I have to wonder to seasoned salesman if this facade ever works? He zeros in on us, turns out to be a good-natured guy, gives us room to look, not to pushy asking all the right questions and side-stepping the obviousness of our situation.
Sits us down, runs the numbers and asks if we want to run it past the bank?
I don't know if you've ever had those moments when you have to worry about ONE more inquiry on your credit history or not but it sort of feels like someone decided to park a boat on your face.
I look at Dash. Dash looks at me and we silently are gearing up for the "can we think about it" escape speech when Mr. Calzone senses the fish wiggling for all it's worth on the hook he says,"You have some concerns."
He leans back in his chair steeples his fingers together gets up from his chair holds up one finger and leaves us in his office. I'm sure both of us felt like a deer in headlights - where did he go - 10 minutes passes he's still not back, we're uncomfortable and wanting to run. I can feel our tension like lightening in a thunderhead building. When he returns he's smiling.
Not only did he get a bank to agree to our chosen car and price without checking our credit but also a cash back bonus. Enough to pay off 2 of our high interest rate credit cards for half the APR and do a little necessity shopping. The money that freed up made it possible to make the car and insurance payment.
PLUS! Yes I said plus, there's more - this bank specializes in people like us struggling to rebuild our credit history by doing all the right things and seemingly getting no where, IF after a year all our payments are ON TIME they will offer us a personal line of credit no questions asked!!!
I swear the tide just shifted, I'm numb of course we agreed and we are now 3 short months away from that 1 year line.
Let me tell you about the car and then I will connect the spooky dots for you, m'kay? Good. It was a Blue 2008 Dodge Avenger that had been used as a day rental with 24561 km.
Now for the Spooky - It took 2 days to file all the proper paperwork for pick-up and while we anxiously awaited word from Mr. Calzone when it would be ready I began trying to decide on the cars' name. I know some people think this is silly but it is a tradition handed down from my father all Dodge vehicles in our family must have names starting with the letter "B".
So I settled on Blubell because of the color. When we went to pick up the car we learned that Mr. Calzone was not in fact a salesman but none other than the sales manager and owner of the dealership! He does not broker deals hasn't for 5+ years he's to busy normally, we just happened to catch him as he was escorting out some customers from years past that dropped in to say hello.
The plate that we did not order personalized had part of the name I had chosen on it. So had I not had my accident we would never have been going to the doctor on that day, had I not told Dash to keep driving that extra 1/2 block we wouldn't have gotten Mr. Calzone and I still can't explain the plate.
So many good things have happened since I hurt my knee it just amazes me. Looking back at it hind sight being what it is (20/20) I really believe I had to get hurt in order for the good things to come.
Sometimes even when you're down fate smiles.
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