Little Red

March, 2004

When Dan and I got married, he had an old Chevy S-10 that had been rolled a couple fo times and was showing it’s age. We called the truck “Little Red”. After Jerra’s accident, she had to drive Little Red, all through the winter and into the spring. At the beginning of March, Dan bought several cars at auction, giving Jerra a more appealing van to drive instead of Little Red. On a Tuesday afternoon, Joshua had detention and had to stay after school. I had a planning meeting for the new hospital, so Jacob came home alone. I know better than to let this happen, but somehow I missed it – so when I called to check in at the house, Jake answered the phone and told me he was alone. He said “ Mom, wait until you see what I did to Little Red!”
I asked him to tell me what he did. “ Mom, it looks so much better. Wiat until you see it. I painted it.”
I stopped breathing. “What did you use to paint it?”
He said he found some spray paint in the front seat. Oh, yea, I remember the spray paint.

When I got home, he showed me the pickup. He had sprayed red paint over all the little dings and scratches, covering the head lights, but otherwise staying to the red parts of the truck. Then he had taken the gold spray paint and detailed the truck. Down each side was a wave of gold paint – at least it was symmetrical. Around the windows and the license plate were similar details. He was really proud of his job. I admonished him to ask in the future before he painted anything. He said he was glad he painted it because it was so beautiful. And it is – oddly painted, but beautiful. When Dan came home, he was very upset about the truck, but only told Jake that he was upset with him over the paint job. Jacob said he wasn’t sorry, and that the truck was ugly before with all the brown marks, but now it was pretty and Dan should be happy that Jake cleaned it up for him!