Ode to a brilliant piece of machinery

Ok - Its been a busy few weeks....

My poor baby overheated (no - Im not talking about Eva the Ewe here). My darling Fiat which I have owned since my student days seems to have breathed her last breath. I got her in 2005 as an Honours Student at Wits and she has been with me ever since. She loyally got me to my lectures on time and even helped me get home after the many drinking sessions at Zoo Lake. Then when I started working she took me straight to the office – and then at lunch to Monte Casino to at least try and get me out of the rat race. She saw me through heartbreaks, good times, birthdays, funerals, S&M clubs and even my stint in London.

Im fully convinced that she sensed I was shopping around for a new set of wheels – and decided to act up. Having invested more money in her than I have on my drinking habit (which I can assure you is SIGNIFICANT!) I decided to go ahead and trade her in.....
I got to the dealership – with tears in my eyes – and rubbed her bonnet. I told her I was sorry, thanked her for all the memories and assured her that she would find a good home and someone who would understand her needs as well as I did – but also someone with the car smarts to actually make a tangible difference.

I will greatly miss her quirks. How I had to hit the left door speaker for the radio to come on. The central locking protocol that needed to be adhered to for her to actually lock (latching the passenger door 5 times, which then opened and closed all other doors, before finally having to lock each door manually).

She really was a beauty and I will forever be indebted to her for the guidance, reliability and counsel that she almost always provided me with.....

This one’s for you my darling.

(Yes - she even made it through being hit by a bus)