At the scene of the accident, it didn't look that bad. The hood and bumper were misaligned, but it was pretty shocking to see my car all torn apart like this. All the plastic parts from the engine compartment were removed and put in the back cargo compartment. The air filter case and washer fluid reservoir and miscellaneous screws and bolts and housings were strewn in the back like organs and guts and teeth.
I wept as I unloaded my stuff out of it. I didn't expect to be so sad about it. But I remembered the day we brought Roman home from the hospital, and the one sunny day Chloe sat in her rear-facing carseat with her baby sunglasses on, and the road trips we took, and the time Chloe busted her lip and how she sat back there as I drove her to the children's hospital. I left the vehicle maintenance records and owners manual in the glove box as if some other person would come along and restore her and take care of her, but the absurdity of that didn't really occur to me at the time.
I said goodbye and drove away.
I kind of had in mind what kind of new vehicle I wanted. Had to be something rugged but sporty like the Escape. In fact, the only thing that kept me from just getting another Escape is that maybe I wanted something a tad bigger to hold camping equipment and the kids' friends. I searched on AutoTrader and Cars.com for a Toyota Sequoia or Ford Explorer or something similar. I wasn't set on a make and model, but something of that ilk would suffice. I saved a bunch of finds online and printed them out, but I wanted to test drive a few before I decided. Except, all of my search results were way over in Dallas or Arlington and I didn't want to drive that far for a vehicle I didn't like.
I set out one Friday morning to visit a few dealerships and drive something similar to my search results. The Toyota dealership guy was inattentive and didn't have what I was looking for, but made me walk all over his 100°F parking lot to make sure. Around the corner, the GMC dealer had a few things I'd consider, but wouldn't even show them to me because they were priced higher than what I said I wanted. The Ford dealer in CityView had an Expedition that was in my price range and I drove it and liked it a lot! So, I took a bunch of pictures and got the sales-lady's card and continued on. The Lexus dealer next door seemed irked that I was even there when he greeted me, handed me his business card, and went back inside. But there was an Explorer that I liked and was one of the few cars with a price tag. And it was in my price range! So I took some photos and drove off.
By that time I was so hot and miserable and thought I was going to pass out. So I stopped at Sonic for a tall cold drink and sat with the air conditioner blowing down my collar for a few minutes.
Next stop was Mike Carlson Motor Company and the guy was super nice and I drove a couple of his vehicles. He listened to me and said he thought I was looking at the wrong vehicles and asked me to take a Z71 Suburban around the block. The thing was a tank and it was awesome!! Except it needed an oil change and it was probably a little out of my price range. (By the way, I've learned that it kind of scares the sales people when a chick opens the hood and starts inspecting the various dip sticks and actually knows what she's looking at. So I did it at each subsequent stop just for the laugh.)
I stopped at a couple other places that afternoon, but before I called it a day, I stopped at the Ford dealership near my house. Dave the salesman came out like a barracuda. He asked me what I was looking for and I gave him my general specs. We walked by a Buick Rendezvous and he asked if I'd consider a crossover. "I could consider it." He opened it up and it had third-row seats, leather, and a DVD player. It was very plush and nice. He showed me some of the Explorers he had, but they were all newer models and not in my price range. Dave asked if I wanted to drive the Buick when we walked back by it and I thought, sure, why not. It was really nice. And it was zippy. But I wasn't ready to write a check that day because my insurance money hadn't even come. He brought me inside to "cool off" for a minute. That's dealer code for sit and try to make a deal.
I was adamant about paying cash, but since I didn't have my insurance check yet, they'd have to wait to make a deal anyway. And boy oh boy did they want us to finance! The manager went on and on about their different options, but I calmly kept repeating that I was going to pay cash and he was going to have to wait until the end of the week when my insurance check arrived. "But it could be gone by then!" he exclaimed.
And I came up with the bestest most classic retort ever. I said, "Listen. Let's say that somebody does come in this week and loves this car and wants to buy it. They're probably not going to pay cash, and so, when they finance it, you'll make more money off of them. So, good for you! And I won't cry." Their mouths hung agape. They had nothing to say. It was the most brilliant moment of awesome I've had in a long time.
We haggled for a brief time, and although the Buick was nice, it wasn't exactly what I was looking for and it was priced a little out of my range, but most of all, I was hot and tired and it was dinner time and there was pizza and beer ready for me at home. I wasn't budging and so Dave brought a manager in. I told them I'd bring my husband back the next day. The manager said, "Well, how would you like to show him in the privacy of your home?" He wanted me to take the car home overnight. "Park it in your driveway and see how it feels," he offered.
I just wanted pizza. "No, I think we'll come back in the morning."
"Well, what time tomorrow?" Dave asked.
"I don't know, sometime between breakfast and lunch, I suppose."
"Well, I don't get in until 12:30, so you're welcome to come at that time, but you'll have to deal with one of these other guys," Dave said. Which was code for: Don't come earlier than noon because I won't get my commission.
"Okay, I'll come back around 1:00," I said.
I went home and, over pizza and beer, relayed the day's adventure to Walter and told him that I agreed to drag him back there the next day. The next day, I kind of resented the fact that Dave made me agree to a specific time to return because the whole day, I was watching the clock. Before we went to see Dave, I wanted Walter to see the Expedition I had seen and liked. But they sold it that fast! So, we returned to see Dave, and Walter drove the dumb Buick. They brought us back into the office for a few minutes "to cool off" and I realized I was glad I didn't write a check the day before. Because I would have gotten it home and cried because I would have settled for something I didn't want.
We left and got on with the rest of our day. I ran my errands and did my grocery shopping. When I got home, Walter said Dave the salesman called and said someone had traded in a 2005 Expedition that day and he thought I would like it. Walter told him I'd go look at it on Monday.
So, Monday after work, I went down to check it out. It drove real nice. All the fluids were clean. The leather and other upholstery were clean and well cared for. It even had a DVD player. I still didn't have my insurance check, though, so my buying power was limited if I wanted to buy it that day. Dave asked, "If we can get it in the right price range, do you think I could have your business on this?" I considered it and said, "Sure."
We went in to Dave's office again. He got me a bottle of water and went off to gather the appropriate paperwork. I sat there by myself. I think they do that so you start getting nervous. Like, they have to break you down a little so they have more negotiating power. Except, I knew how much money was in my bank account, so if they wanted me to write a check that day before I had my insurance money, they would have to get inside that box or there was no deal. They knew from the previous Saturday that I had no reservations about walking away either. That wasn't an intentional part of the plan, but I think it helped.
Dave came back a few minutes later with a number. He had $12,600 on the paper which was already outside the range in which I was comfortable, but what slammed the door shut was when he said, "And after taxes and fees, that will bring you to about $13.4." That was a deal breaker. I couldn't scrape up that much cash and be comfortable with the balance in my account.
"I'm not prepared to write that check today." I said. Because the truth of the matter is that if he was willing to wait until my insurance check came in, I might have considered paying that much. I kept saying the word today, but he only heard "no." Again, not an intentional part of the negotiation, but it worked in my favor.
"Well, what kind of price range are you looking for?" he asked.
"Eleven," I replied and I think he choked.
"Would you consider twelve?" he asked.
I thought about it, and technically, if we moved some money from Chloe's savings and Walter's personal checking, we could come up with that much with a small cushion of cash leftover. "If you can get it all under twelve - taxes and fees included - I could write you a check for that today."
Excellent. He went to get that approved by his manager. Which is code for go check the scores on the game they had on TV. I called Walter real quick.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Hey. I can't talk long because they're going to be back in a sec. But if I call you again, move xx from your account and xx from Chloe's."
"Okay. I'll wait for your call." He looked up the Kelly Blue Book value on it. $15K!
"Here they come. Gotta go." I pretended to end a phone conversation with a work colleague so they wouldn't think I was checking with my husband to see if it was okay.
Dave and the manager (a different manager than the one I had talked to that weekend) returned. The manager shook my hand and kind of winced when he talked to me.
"Mrs. Storm," he began, "I'm trying to help you get in this vehicle, but could you do twelve-five?"
"No."
"Twelve two-fifty? ANYTHING. Help me out."
"No. I originally said eleven, so twelve is my compromise."
"Do you even realize what a nice vehicle this is!" he asked.
I replied, "I'm not saying it's not! It is a very lovely vehicle. But if you want me to write a check today," and I made a checking-writing motion with my hands, "then $12K is my price."
I can't remember what he said after that, but I replied, "No. I know how much I'm willing to empty out my checking account," and he interrupted me. "YOU'RE EMPTYING YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT!"
"No, you're not listening," I said. "I said I know how much I'm willing to empty it." People don't get into a position to pay cash for a vehicle by doing dumb things like that with their money.
"Alright, Mrs. Storm. I'll go check with our finance manager," he said. That's code for check the scores again. "I'm batting for ya!" he said with a little fist motion.
I'm sure you are, buddy. I thought to myself.
So, while they went to check the game scores again, I called Walter. "Go," is all I said. "Okay, I'm on it," he replied. After a minute, he texted me with my bank account balance.
Dave and the manager were gone for a little longer this time. I sat there expecting to talk to yet another manager. But when they came back, the manager shook my hand and said, "Mrs. Storm? Congratulations."
YESSS!! I WIN!! I BEAT YOU!! I WIN!!!
I didn't really say that.
Out loud.
So, they brought me into the finance manager's office, which was a lot nicer than the sales guys' glass cubicles. I declined all the "extras" he tried to sell me and I wrote out the largest check I've ever written in my whole entire life. And.it.was.awesome.
Dave printed out a temporary tag and a temporary title. He put them in the vehicle and handed me the keys.
Holy cow! I just payed CASH for a car! It's MINE. Like, really MINE. Not mine because it sits in my driveway and I make payments on it. Like, ALL THE WAY mine because I paid for all of it and its MINE.
I don't think, of all the years I've spent hanging out with men and working with men or flying airplanes, that I have ever felt more empowered. When I'm driving down the road sometimes, I just have random fits of giggles just thinking about it.
So, now that I'm done thinking about how awesome I am and how I did this all by myself, I want you all to know how convicted I am when I think about how awesome our God is. Despite the fact that I make my own little idols and worship myself, His mercy envelopes me. He is ever faithful to provide for me when He really ought to turn his back. When I had my moment of triumph and tried to pretend He wasn't there, He was. How awesome is the God whose patience is so boundless that all my arrogant pride can fit inside his box of forgiveness!
And my random fits of giggles have been replaced by daily whispers: Thank you, Lord. Your mercies are new each morning.
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