A Timely Death

This morning, my housemate borrowed my car to go down to the Gold Coast to pick up some of her stuff. In the afternoon, my phone rings. My housemate asks me how long ago I last put oil in my car. A couple of months ago, I guess. Well, the car is now sitting at a service station next to the freeway exit, completely dead.

I borrow a friend’s car and drive down to Coomera where my housemate is stranded with a carload of her stuff. I try starting my car. Wrrrrrrrr, wrrrrrrrr, wrrrrrrr… The starter works in vain, the engine won’t turn over. It sounds like the engine has had it and decided to call it quits today. Like many old cars, my car has been burning oil every since I got in almost two years ago. I have been anticipating its demise, but have been giving it palliative oil changes. It has surprised me by chugging along with no complaints for the last two years. And apparently, today it has decided to go out, not with a bang, just a lot of shakes and black smoke out of the tailpipe.

I help my housemate transfer her stuff to my friend’s car and head back to Brisbane. My disabled car will have to wait until tomorrow to be towed.