Mike purchased a sporty two-door green Acura for me in 1990. This quickly became my favorite car. I never get attached to inanimate objects, this car was different because before, I was driving an atrocious turquoise van. We name all of our cars and the Acura Legend’s name was Issachar (is-a-car).
The Car Keys
Our 16 year-old son was invited to Colorado to visit some dear friends. On the day he was leaving he slept in. I yelled for him to get up, and when I looked at his ticket I discover that his flight was scheduled to leave in five minutes. Despite the fact that we live 15 minutes from John Wayne Airport (that is without traffic) we were going to be late. I made Mikos get up and get ready. We both needed a break from each other and I was not going to miss this opportunity. John Wayne Airport was much smaller then, and parking was right in front. Mikos did not want to drag his suitcase just in case he missed the flight. When we got to the counter, we were informed that the flight had mechanical problems and it had been delayed. I gave him the keys to Issachar for him to get the luggage. Just then the announcement was made that the plane was ready for takeoff. I was feeling a little guilty because of the mechanical problem, so I went upstairs to the balcony to see my son off. I could see that he was at a window seat and he was waving to me, but the wave seemed more and more animated and then I saw my car keys in his hand. It took over three hours to get this problem resolved. I called the office and was told that Mike was on his way to L.A. He had to be paged (remember those beepers?). Mike had to drive home and pick up the spare key and bring it to the airport.
The Helping Hand
Another incident with Issachar happened late September that same year. I had just gone grocery shopping, and as I pulled up, Mikos offered to help carry the bags in. This was so out of character for my son because he never before offered any assistance. Maybe he was changing or maturing. Nope! He was trying to impress his girlfriend, who was visiting that day. “Don’t worry Mom, I’ll put everything away too, ” he said. A few hours had passed when I went into the kitchen and discovered that Mikos neglected to put the ice cream in the freezer! It was completely melted.
The Smell of Death
Days passed and Issachar and I were driving to and from work. That September we were experiencing a particularly hot Indian summer. Issachar (the car) started to develop a strange stench. After about a week the smell became so caustic, when I would get in the car I wanted to throw up. I searched thoroughly for any leftover food but found nothing. I put the air conditioner on full blast and drove to work. I knew it was serious when I came to a stop signal and people would look at me in disgust. I looked back, shrugged my shoulders at them and said, “What?” At that point the smell was so putrid that I no longer smelled it. I had no idea that the smell was latching on to my clothing either. When I got to work one of the supervisors coughed a throw up sounding cough when I passed by. Waving his hand in front of his disgusted-looking face, he blurted out, “What is that horrible smell?” I had become immune to the sulfurous, foul air, apparently it had become part of my DNA! Nonetheless, I knew something was very wrong. I went into my office and did what every normal person does, lifting my arm smelling both armpits, but it all registered normal.
When I got home, Sonja was outside with her boyfriend. I opened the door and they both looked like they smelled death. I put my head down, raised my hands in question and told them that I did not know what was wrong but that everyone was telling me about the polluted smell. “Is there something dead in your car?” Sonja asked. It never dawned on me to look in the trunk and this frightened me because whatever it was, it has definitely gone to meet its Maker. We brought in the trash containers from the back yard to facilitate the transfer of the dead foreign matter. Sonja’s boyfriend opened the trunk and there it was, the rotting raw chicken that Mikos failed to bring into the house the day he was trying to impress his girlfriend. My eyes cried for what my nose was enduring. The three of us choked and gasped for any clean air to free us of this foul-smelling fowl.
Mike To The Rescue
It took weeks before everything got back to normal. This task fell on none other than Mike. After several car washes, air fresheners, and leaving the windows down he finally decided that it was inhabitable and safe for driving. Anyone that knows my husband Mike understands how meticulous he is about a clean car.
Years passed and Mikos was leaving for college in Santa Barbara, we handed down Issachar to him. As my son was leaving, a Bible Scripture came to me from:
Matthew 7:6 “Do not give that which is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine.” I knew that was it over for Issachar and it was going to be downhill from there; the car would never be kept clean as Mike kept it.
Dear Lord, Thank You for all that You have done in guiding our son Mikos. May we as parents understand the importance of teaching our children about You. Parents need You more than ever to raise healthy, productive, God-fearing children. May Your heavenly light shine upon them and give them guidance. Amen.
