My dad stood before me that Monday morning, his face stone-cold and his eyebrow knocked up. I stared right back into his blue eyes with a newer confidence that I couldn't find when I was younger. My hand held all that he asked for, ready to pay it to him, when he took it and started counting the stacks of green adding up to seven-thousand dollars.
"I don't know why you want that piece-of-shit anyway." he said, handing me back two grand.
"No, that's what you asked for, you keep it." I said, pushing the money back into his hand. "And it's not a piece-of-shit dad. It's the most beautiful car in the world."
Well, to me it was. A 1998 Ford Mustang that my dad paid two-thousand for from a friend of his years and years ago. It used to be factory blue, but has since been painted a Lexus pearl red. The twenty-two inch rims had star patterned inserts that were the same candy-red pearl as the car. The emblems on all sides were also replaced with skulls, and so were the tire pressure knobs. The engine had a Cold-Air Intake system added to it. But perhaps my favorite part-as far as the physical side goes- was the dual set of Competition Series bass speakers in the back connected to a Sony radio with a remote.
"That thing has over one-hundred fifty thousand miles on it. It's gonna breakdown sooner or later. Besides, it's old and really, Koda, I see no use in you paying me for something that'll only run for a few more months, a year tops, before it just can't go anymore."
I nodded, having heard this speech time-and-time-again. "I know all that. But I have someone back in California that can fix her up for me. I could care less about her state now, because to me, she'll always be a beautiful car." I petted the mirror like I remember doing as a younger version of myself. "She just needs a new engine probably. I mean if not, then a few parts in it to be fixed. But I'd rather just get a new engine, put some dual exhausts on it, and be done."
The entire time I spoke, it seemed he doubted my every word. I knew it did sound ludacris, but it was all truth. Brad and his mechanics friend Jayse could help me out with her. So I did have friends to assist me.
"I know you wonder about where I come off with all this cash, but-"
"It's those damn queer-ass motherfuckers you're with."
I shook my head.
"I can see straight through you." my dad said, cocking his head. "They pay for everything because I know they're that gay-ass boy band you listened to and made a big fuss over when you were like fifteen."
I laughed. "You recognize them?"
"Anyway,"
"No, no, stop. Dad....... You recognize them! Woah!" I was freaking out. "That's jamming!"
"Really?" he looked at me like I was a moron. "You're really fucking retarded."
"But no, seriously.. Their offers stand but I don't take them. Of course they'll pay for things, but I'm perfectly fine on finances. It's just nice gestures is all."
Roy looked at me, inspecting me really hard until his eyes went back to the infamous mark left by Zach that got me in trouble the first time. I prepared for the problem that we already discussed before I talked about buying The Mustang from him.
"So which one is it Koda, honestly?" he asked.
I looked down and ran my hand over my neck.
"Is it that short one? Zayne or some shit?"
"I'd go with 'or some shit' because his name is Zach." I answered, not ready to look up yet.
"Well, is it him?" he asked. "No, I bet it's that tall one, Jesse."
I looked up then. "How'd you remember his name but not Zach's?"
Dad shrugged. "It's common. I know a lot of Jesses so it sticks pretty well. But it's him isn't it?"
I shook my head. "No, it's Zach like you first suspected."
"Hmm.." he walked in a semi-circle. "I thought it was Zach, but then Jesse really acted like you two were together."
I shook my head then stuffed my hands in my pockets. I assumed Dad's position and stared at the road outside of his work area. "Jesse's an older brother figure to me. Maybe you misinterpreted the things he did."
"Well, it seemed pretty 'Flowers In the Attic' kind of shit to me if he's like an older brother figure to you."
I stood there, cocking my brow. "What do you mean?"
"It's just a tease, Koda. I was joking. But, let me pull The Mustang around for you to get the hell on."
I followed him to the key hitches over his table where the the Ford keys sat, and then to the side. I saw the beautiful car and squealed, literally. Dad looked back and me and shook my head.
As soon as I heard that spectacular machine roughly start up, it immediately brought back the thousands of memories I had with her. That's why I wanted The Mustang; all the memories. To me, she was much more than a nineteen-year old piece of manufactured machinery. She was a memory capsule that I now was able to dig up and take home with me.
"Alright." Dad got out and left her running with the door open. "Echo" by Gorilla Zoe played: also memory bound, that song.
"Thanks Dad." I hugged him, hard. A sudden burst of homesickness rocketed through me. I felt tears.
"What are you thanking me for?" he said.
"'Cause I can." I answered.
"Hey, what do you have The Mustang pulled out for?" My mom came around from the sanding area.
So Dad told her I was taking her and all the good stuff. I hugged her too before I left to go back to the hotel. She was teary-eyed and it only made my own tears filter more. I finally got in The Mustang and waved goodbye after I plugged in my IPod and waited for the loading to finish. I sat at the stop sign, near tears, but also happy because I got to take a part of my original home back to my new one.
I turned on the system and rolled up the nearly illegally tinted windows and pressed play on MY JAM!
Sing away my life in "Shadow Moses", Oliver Sykes and your whole crew from Bring Me The Horizon.
