Complicated Lives....part 5

Jessie and the car

Tori and Miles Smith moved from Fl to TX and to a real house like folks!! They had a child by this point and all was going swimmingly. Miles got the word that they had to move to CA. Also that he was supposed to pick up a new truck for work there. They already had 2 cars but couldn’t take both. They decided to sell the 94 teal Cavalier, Beverly. 4 doors, about 100k miles, still ran great…Tori loved Beverly and had pegged out the speedometer many times. Also being a good white trash woman had allowed their 8 year old son to drive it!! They lived in a neighborhood of people with complicated lives and or immigration issues. A person with a complicated life found out they wanted to sell their car and told a friend, with an even more complicated life. The neighbor “old man” brought Jessie over. Old Man said Jessie was a good girl and just needed a break. The Smiths felt sorry for Jessie, she had a job but no reliable transportation, had no credit, was recently off drugs and trying to get away from old friends to keep her new clean life. They talked it over and agreed on $400 for the car; $100 down and then payments of about $100 a month. They were pretty sure they would never get another cent because they knew it was a complicated life. Jessie and the Smiths were supposed to meet at the DMV to transfer papers. Jessie already had the car and never showed up. Tori and Miles found out what they needed to do to cover their butts with the car and the transfer of plates. They left town, doubting they would ever see the rest of the money but hoping that Jessie would make good with her life.

MONTHS after they arrived in CA the tickets still kept coming, running this light, parking, speeding, camera shots of the beloved Cavalier leading its new life of crime! Somehow that mischievous car looked happy!! Tori patiently continued reiterating to the TX authorities the sale and details thereof, continued sending faxes and copies to all the pertinent authorities and offices to keep their names and licenses clear. There were many calls to and from Jessie…had to get new tires, couldn’t afford plates, had to put gas in it, couldn’t afford to keep up the insurance, had to take the car in for a tune up couldn’t afford the title, etc etc…There were other details, now lost in space. Tori did keep a photo of the beloved little car gleefully sliding through a red light from a traffic cam. Jessie never paid another cent as expected but did make Beverly an honest car again with plates and a title.