After Replacing

After replacing three sheared hood hinges driving up and down the farm access road this solution seems to work best. Duct tape. This car has taken such good care of us. His name is Black Mamba. Named because there are no dangerous snakes here on the island. Mango said we need one. He gives us notice before something goes wrong and seems to shed only nonessential parts and lots of them. The front quarter panel has been reattached six times on the lower frame. The muffler has been welded twice, the gas tank protector had to be removed with a hacksaw after 3 bolts let go. The windows have been fixed twice. Four tires have been replaced and we’ve had three flats. There is a crack in the windshield that seems to have stabilized. The air conditioner has vibrated into oblivion. The plastic wheel well covers have disintegrated. The rights hand mirror fell off. Truth be told it was my fault when 600 pounds of razor sharp aluminum sheeting slid off the and sheered it like a guillotine. It’s back on now no worse for the wear. Marie Antoinette should have been so lucky. Mamba just keeps rolling and we try to encourage his steadfastness by having all passengers rub the dash board and say thank you every day as the fillings start to work their way out of our teeth along the way.