A couple of months ago, we became a one car family as Bob is no longer with us. Many of our friends and family knew and were fond of our red Honda Accord Bob. A number of you have asked about him and his whereabouts. Well –here are Bob’s final days.
Johnny was driving home in December from Schenectady when a concerning amount of smoke appeared from Bob’s hood. With much coaxing and a little luck, Johnny made it home. I think Bob would have wanted to live out his days at home so we did not rush him to the garage. We gave Bob some rest over the Holidays, with the occasional unsuccessful start up. After the holidays, the garage gave us the prognosis that Bob had suddenly developed a number of serious issues that he would not recover from. We were given a couple of choices and in the end went for quick and painless selling, Bob to Jerry for scrap and moving on. Bob would have wanted it that way.
On Wednesday February – Johnny and I met Jerry down at the garage to say goodbye to Bob. I staged a brief photo session with Jerry as the photographer, Johnny and I as the showroom models and Bob as the consummate star. Most shots were familial with Johnny and I standing next to Bob, some were of Bob alone and some of Bob and I hinted at a deeper relationship.
I questioned Jerry as to his experience with photo sessions and cars and he said that my reactions had been run of the mill, middle of the road or god forbid, “average.” Imagine – me labeled as average. In the end, I was thankful for that label as Jerry described women who sobbed on the hood of the car not letting go or who chased Jerry and their car down the driveway. In this case, average was just fine.
It is now April with no new car on the horizon. We have easily adjusted to one car with more walking and the occasional complicated ride scenario. The first month, we casually researched a new car and listlessly perused the classifieds for a second hand car. Nothing felt right, nothing felt appropriate. We’re not ready yet. It would be like remarrying before the one year anniversary of the death of one’s spouse.
At some point, we will be ready and something will strike us. Until then, we have celebrated Bob with a short tribute of poems and photos to Bob.
ODES TO BOB
Bob was my pal, my roommate, my go to guy
Bob was trustworthy, reliable and unflappable
He was sturdy, low to the ground and had control
One might say –Bob was one of a kind
Bob did not disappoint
He carried me without hesitation through the Smokey Mountains
To Arkansas and to my dying father
And back again consoling me with his strong frame
Bob delivered us safely on all our travels
Surviving one or two scratches
And a substitute hood in a different color
A couple of bad hair days for Bob
But he rebounded back for another nine years
Purchased by my grandmother in 1992
Bob would have turned 20 this year
That’s 90 in car years you know
A life well lived, a life well remembered
An example to all
My memories of Bob are many and varied
My gratitude to him unending
Thanks Bob
By Diane Lachtrupp Martinez
Bob was always quite great
We’ll never forget him
He’s always our first mate
We’ll always remember him
Concealing him in our hearts
AFTER…………
Scrapping away his parts
By Lucas Martinez
AND now for some Haiku – A nod to Bob’s Japanese roots.
The only car dad
Would allow me to drive - gone
Run into the ground
By Joseph and Diane Martinez
Work horse, strong, driven
Treasured family member
Limitless road, Bob
By Johnny Martinez
No comments:
Post a Comment