Bye-O, Silver...Away!

In May 1997, our family purchased a 1994 Silver Toyota Corolla XL from a family friend. Since my Mum is a foreigner, the car was assigned to me. It was the first time I owned a car so I was all trippy about it. Then came the peer pressure of naming the car so I called him Silver (Full name: High ho, Silver, away!). My fondest memories of Silver are his fuel efficiency (1.3) and his quirk early on of the turn signal lights clicking on and off like there was no tomorrow on rainy days (It was due to an electrical problem but I always liked to think Silver was just high on caffeine that day).

I'm trying to remember the furthest places I've driven to with Silver but my memory fails me at the moment. I can recall driving to the Quezon Avenue/Banawe Street area but I'm not sure how far South we've gone together. Maybe Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna? I even remember the first time I bumped another car: I was backing out of a parking lot and didn't see that there was a car behind me because it was the corner of a full stop intersection. Does that make sense? Suffice it to say I went pale and could hardly explain to the other driver that I bumped his car ("I...I...I bumped..."). Thank goodness he was very calm and just told me to have my insurance call his insurance (Bless him). He was even kind enough to ask if I was doing okay in the week that followed.

Fast forward to 2006 (and maybe three {3} major accidents later) and Silver recently had to have a lot of work done. Plus he was only clocking in eight (8) kms. per liter. It was time to let go of my friend of almost nine (9) years. I know it's silly because it's only a car but it was so funky when I had to turn him over to his new owner. I felt like Oscar Schindler in his drama moment towards the end of the Spielberg movie but more like, "There's so much more to do with this car right now." To quote Bruce Springsteen's Human Touch: Yeah, I know I ain't nobody's bargain but, Hell, a little touch up and a little paint.

I bought a brand new car this week (more on that in another post) and we're getting along fine, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart (?) for my first car.