Summer 1998
A parking spot right into front of the building. In cities this is like gold and an urban myth all wrapped under one big bow if you are in a part of the city that is busy with people. We were right in sight of the university campus and even in summer during the day it was busy with people taking summer classes.
But there it was right in front of the building.
I swear there was light shinning down on the spot and choirs of angels singing “Alleluia, Alleluia” when I parallel parked my purple Neon (yes a Neon & it was cheap, stop judging me) right out front.
After I parked, I went up into our big brick building that had a Brownstone feel to it & I think 10 apartments in it. I got ready for a night out with my girlfriends. We were going out just us girls, my main squeeze was working late and doing some time with the guys. It was a beautiful summer night’s. When I was picked up by my friends I passed my car on the way to theirs. When I got home later than night, my car was still sitting pretty.
When I woke up the next morning. Got ready for work and walked out the door I noticed something was different. There was a big empty space where my car use to be. My car was gone.
At first I thought maybe yesterday’s perfect spot had been a dream. Maybe it didn’t really happen. But how would that describe the Neon car sized spot right in front that was now empty and had broken glass lying in it. It wouldn’t explain it. Yet, still I did the walk around the block at this point my beloved had joined me outside. He kept asking if I moved it & didn’t remember.
Even though the look on his face was one of “Oh, your car is so stolen.”
After we did the walk around the block, we came in. He held my hand, put his arm around my shoulder while I called the police to make the report. I couldn’t believe this had happened, I called off work. It turns out my work was not that forgiving about me not being able to make it in for my shift to do having NO CAR because it was STOLEN! Yea, I didn’t stay there too much longer.
But while we sat there on the couch. He kept reassuring me it would all work out. “It will be Okay” with a soft whisper. He held me when I called my parents, who weren’t that pleased. He held me when I had the “Oh my God my car was just stolen & the world is ending” panic moment. He held me.
They found my car a few weeks later, it was not in great shape but it was fixable. I, however, found that I had strength in my love sitting next to me on the couch that day. That made up for all the tears over the car, because with him I knew it would be okay.
I mean he told me it would be & I wanted to believe.
[this is part of my “how I met your father” series]
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I fell in love with a guy when I was in my 20′s, b/c he’d say to me, “It”ll be alright, it’ll be alright.”
I loved that…
awww i love this. i mean, it sucks that your car got stolen, but what an awesome story to tell about falling in love! and btw- i totally rocked a blue neon. whoop whoop!
That would be a shake up. I have never driven, never learned so…pssst why would we judge you on a Neon?
Came from SITS…
What a great guy.
Is it any compensation that having your car stolen resulted in a great story you could share on your blog years later? Hmm, maybe not. Still, it is a great story. I can’t imagine how that must feel to walk out and have our car not be where you thought it was. Glad it all worked out in the end! Love your site!
Well…. maybe it was worth the car getting stolen, for the happy ending
Man, doesn’t it just beat all when that kind of thing happens right under your nose?
When I lived in downtown DC, I had a pair of subwoofers stolen out of the trunk of my car RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE POLICE STATION. This was done in broad daylight, and my car was literally 20 feet across a one lane street from the entrance to the police station – the entrance that cops always are out hanging out in front of. And the two subwoofers were in a 5′ long carpeted box, so it’s not like it could have been not noticed. But none of the cops out there were observant enough to realize that the thief had just smashed open my trunk lock with a screwdriver, rather than opening it with a key.
Sadly, my story does not have any sort of redeeming romantic implications to it, it just plain sucked. Oh well.
And it was okay.
i know all too well that car theives are not picky. i had a ford escort that was 4 different colors, had been hit by an elk, (seriously), and the bumper was hanging off and it still was stolen. AND the stealer drove by me while i was on a payphone with the police. true story.
glad you got your car back