It ended up on a curb in a Kohl's parking lot. The first time I was behind a wheel that is. I passed my license test when I was 16-years-old by a friendly old man with wide brimmed glasses and kind eyes. He told me that I had a beautiful smile. I asked if that would help me pass. I was nervous. It did I think.
I inherited a red 2006 Jeep Liberty, whom I lovingly named Rojita ("little red") from my older sister. Rojita's style evolved over the years; she now wears a pink license plate that I received as a birthday gift. At one point she had glamorous eyelashes that stuck out above her headlights. She's had a few bumpers replaced...change is good right? We've been through a lot together in the past four years of our relationship, and as Rojita changed, so did I. She's really witnessed it all.
Rojita has seen the best and worst sides of me. She's witnessed all of my road rage, screaming out loud in desperation in traffic and my frantic cries for help when I'm running late. She's been there for my road sing along performances and the days I was in such a a good mood I'd take the long way home.
She's been there for Dairy Queen runs that ended up in Anytime Fitness parking lots, thinking just by watching people work out the ice cream would cancel out. She's heard my secrets and been there for the long chats with friends that turned into therapy sessions or the many conversations about our dreams to take on the world. She's hasn't said a word to anyone about the times she's seen me cry or complained about the fingernail marks I've left in the steering wheel.
She was there the day I decided getting Chapstick out of my purse was more important than paying attention to the road, when a boy I liked kissed me for the first time and the time I blew out her base from turning the volume all the way up to 37 on the way to work. She's survived a four car collision and horrendous speeding ticket that I received a few short months after I received my license. That was a doozy.
Rojita has driven me to school, practice and rehearsal. She's witnessed the thousands of times I've gotten lost. And now she's helped me move in and out of my college dorm.
Today, Rojita and I hit another milestone. Pun intended. That milestone just happened to be a parked vehicle. Yes, it is the second time this has happened. No, I don't want to talk about it.
Rojita, our love affair has been wonderful and I cherish the memories we've made growing up together.
Rojita, I'm sorry.
I wonder if it's possible to get grounded at 20 years old.
