I have to admit I’m not sure if our old car was held together more by our prayers or the abundance of sellotape that could be found on every headlight and wing mirror, not to mention the dashboard, glove compartment, and steering wheel cover.
We loved our car but it was getting more and more difficult to get it through its annual road test. It was safe but no longer looked roadworthy.
But it still drove well and was very comfortable. Although we knew it was worth nothing as far as the ‘official price’ was concerned, it also hadn’t needed any repairs for quite a while and wasn’t expensive to run.
It had just passed its test, when a friend offered us a newer car for a very reasonable price. It was a shame to just discard our old ‘friend’ but we also knew it wasn’t ‘sellable.’
So we asked our grandchildren if one of them wanted it for as long as it continued to toot along. Several said no because they couldn’t afford to run a car. But one was very happy to take it even though insurance for new, young drivers was daunting.
About two months later we were together at our daughter’s house and we noticed he was driving another car.
“Gosh did our old car die on you so quickly?” I asked somewhat embarrassed.
“Well let’s just say that it wasn’t worth the expense of replacing the clutch when it broke,” he said sheepishly.
“ I’m sorry – I thought it would be of some use to you a bit longer.”
“It was much more than just ‘some use’ Bubby. You have no idea just what hashgacha pratit it was that you gave us the car.”
The week you and Zeidy gave us the car I saw a job advertised that was just what I was looking for – but it was some distance from town and off the beaten track with no regular public transport . Great, I thought – I’ve got a car now so I can apply. And baruch Hashem I got the job with better pay than I had and far nicer conditions.
“A few weeks later as it was grunting it’s way up the hill, the car’s clutch gave out and I had to have it towed away. But by then I had started in this great job and I certainly wasn’t going to give it up so we managed to scrape together enough money to get another used car.
“And that isn’t everything. When I called the insurance company to change the insurance over to the new car she said to me. ‘You’re really lucky. Just a few weeks ago our insurance company, together with many of the other big insurance companies decided not to insure young drivers any more (I guess it wasn’t cost effective) but as you are already insured by us we’ll keep you on our books.’
“So you see what tremendous hashgacha it was that you gave me the car just then, even for those few weeks.”
I was delighted that our old jalopy which had served us well for over 20 years had not disappeared with a whimper but had finished its career with a mitzvah for our grandchildren.
