Pearl, Oldsmobile, lavendar

I had to choose Andrea's suggestion of Pearl, Oldsmobile, lavender for the three word challenge. Reading those words made this story pop into my head and out of my fingers in about 20 minutes. Although Chris' suggestion of A piece of blue-green sea glass, an acorn, and a torn love letter caused story cogs to start turning as well. So here is the quickly written Three word challenge story. I hope we can do it again and if anyone would like to take the challenge themselves and write a story using any of the words suggested please feel free to e-mail it to me. It could end up on the blog :) as the whole point of this blog is to share stories encourage imagination and have fun.

 

Pearl, Oldsmobile, Lavendar

 

“That?” I stare at the hunk of rusted brown Oldsmobile before me. “That's all I can afford?”

My dad nods slowly. “You could always wait, save a little more money and come back.”

“I worked my butt off this summer.” It would take me like another year to save enough money for the cute little Honda and by then it would be gone. “Can't you just loan me the money?”

“Sorry Hazel, this is one of those tough life lessons.” My dad pats my shoulder. “You will just have to decide which is more important, having a car you don't like now or waiting a while for the one you want.”

I grind my teeth together making them squeak. Now that I have my license I really want to drive to school. “I guess I'll take this one.”

The car lot dealer walks over to us. “Have you made up your mind?” She swishes her long dark hair over one shoulder as she speaks.

I stare at the Oldsmobile. “Yes. I'd like to buy this car.”

“Oh, the Olds huh?” Her eyes get twinkly. “That's a special one. You treat her right and she will be good to you in return.”

After paying the dealer, I situate myself in the driver seat and drive home. The car smells of warm vinyl with a hint of mold and drives like a boat, practically floating over bumps in the road. I park in my driveway and examine the interior. No CD player. I dust off the radio with my hand. As I do, a pearl drops out of the tape player and lands in the center console.

That's strange.

I poke my finger into the tape player and find a crumpled piece of paper. In shaky handwriting are the words, “I'd really like a bath.”

Frozen I stare at the tape player. Could the car be asking me for a bath? No. Someone just left that note in there as a joke. But what could it hurt? The car needed to be washed didn't it?

Grabbing towels, the hose and a bucket of soap I get to work cleaning the distraught looking pile of metal.

A sound like a backfire blasts my ears as I finish cleaning the car. I hurry around the back of the car to see five more pearls pop out of the tail pipe.

“What the...” I scoop up each of the shiny objects and study the car as I put the hose away.

“What's that sound?” My older brother Tim comes outside. “Dad said you got a car but this is something else Hazel.”

“My car backfired.” My hand trembles as I hold out the pearls. “These came out the exhaust pipe.”

“Wow! Someone musta hid them there.” Tim bends over staring at the rear end of my car.

I know it is true I just have to say it out loud. “Or it's a magical car.” I kick at a pebble on the drive way.

“Not this heap of junk.” Tim laughs and as he does several spiders crawl from under the bumper.

“Stop you're upsetting her, see?” I point at the spiders which are scuttling over the drive way.

“Hazel are you for real?” My brother raises his eye brows at me. He thinks I'm being stupid.

“Watch.” I motion for my brother to follow me as I sit down inside the car. I use one of the towels and wiped off the dashboard and center console. Three more pearls fall out from the crack between the steering wheel and dashboard.

“Holly smokes.” Tim looks around the car as if he can find the answer. “Can I ride to school with you tomorrow?”

My new purchase seems like a good investment now. I glance at my senior brother's nice Toyota pick up. He would rather ride to school in my car. “Of course.”

I pat my new car good night and head in for dinner and bed.

When I wake up I see my brother outside putting a coat of wax on my car. The brown paint shines like a new coat of nail polish.

Without even eating breakfast I hurry out to my car. I pick a small bouquet of lavender from my mother's garden, tie it together with a blue ribbon and place it on the dash of the car. The tape player makes a grinding noise and out pops out a dozen gold coins followed by a note. “Thank you.” It reads. I show Tim the coins and do a little happy dance. Best car ever!

At school The car decides to sputter and stall. Several of my class mates point and laugh. Monica shouts out in a sarcastic voice, “Nice car Hazel!” I can't stand Monica.

I grin and rub my car. “Thanks!”

“I wasn't serious. That is the nastiest looking car I've ever seen. Aren't you scared you will get Tetanus just looking at it?”

From under the hood of the car three snakes slither toward the grass.

Monica sneers. “Even the wildlife runs from it's hideousness.” She clicks the lock button on her key chain and smiles as her silver Acura beeps at her in response.

After school I walk to my car and see Monica standing near by with my driver side mirror in her hand.

“I was just walking by and this fell off.” She makes a fake pout face. I can see a baseball bat in her passenger seat. She knocked my mirror off.

“Give it here.” I walk toward her.

She tosses the mirror and it lands on the hood of my car making a small dent and a scratch in the paint. “Oops, sorry about that.”

My car starts up all by itself and backs out of the parking spot. I turn and stare with all the rest of my classmates. My car jams it's front bumper into the rear end of Monica's car over and over making an awful crunching metal sound. Her bumper hangs to the ground and her car has been smashed down in size. The Oldsmobile, with no one inside, honks before leaving the parking lot.

I'm in shock. My brother runs up to see what is going on. Monica's mouth couldn't be a bigger O shape.

My car is gone. In the parking space is a paper note and a key. I grab them both. And start walking home before Monica can say anything.

My brother catches up. “Monica is pretty pissed you know.” He leans over my shoulder to see the note. “What's it say?”

I hold up the key. “It says to take this key back to the dealer.”

“Cool, I'll drive.” Tim winks at me. “I'll bet it's something magical.”

At the dealers I wait for the lady with the long dark hair to come out to the lot. She walks up with a knowing grin on her face. “Either you have treated the Olds poorly or you have treated her well.”

I hold up the note and the key.

She smiles. “You must have been kind to your car. I guess the little blue Honda is yours. That's the key you were given. ”

“But what about my car?” As much as I had wanted the Honda yesterday I couldn't help the pang I felt loosing the Oldsmobile.

“Oh, she'll come back someday.” The dealer turns and walks away before I can ask anything else. “She always does.”