Eulogy for a JellyBean
About seven years ago, shortly after leaving the Dumbass Ex, I scraped together all of the US Savings Bonds I’d been given for birthdays and holidays over the years, cashed them in, and purchased the JellyBean. The JellyBean is a ‘93 Ford Festiva, marginally white in between the gaping rust holes, largely held together by an amusing collection of bumper stickers. The JellyBean was so christened by a server at one of the restaurants where I used to work, because, “Look at that little thing! It looks like a jelly bean!” The name stuck.
The Jelly Bean, for all it’s rusted-out shit-boxy look, has been one the finest cars I’ve ever been privileged to own. It has never failed to bring me home, through hell, snow, and high water. Despite whatever mechanical ailments it may have developed, it always started, it always ran, it always drove. Festivas are little tanks. I’ve always said that the engine could fall completely out of the JellyBean, and it would still start up and run.
She was a damn good car.
Sadly, the belts had started going, and the Bean puked up her water pump the other day (and despite barfing out coolant, still got me home from work). So, we took it in to the shop. The more they dug into it, the worse the prognosis got. The first $500.00 got me a new water pump, belts, and an oil change, which got the old gal running again, but the front end of the car is rotting out, the head and valves all need done, and one of the pistons has 35% compression — all of which, for you non-car-folk out there (of which I am one), means that the JellyBean is dying. She is, in fact, dead on her wheels. We are officially now driving her until she drops.
We considered getting her fixed, but basically, all the fixing we do from this point on is only delaying the inevitable, and pouring money into a car which, sadly, is no longer worth it. Not to mention the fact that we don’t have the money to pour in to it. It’s a 14-year-old car that I bought for $900.00 seven years ago. I’ve more than got my money’s worth out of her.
We’re hoping that she manages to shamble zombie-like through the winter, because come spring, we’ll have the money to buy a decent used car. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping our eyes open for a good deal, just in case the JellyBean doesn’t make it.
I’m going to miss that car. It was a good car.
September 23rd, 2006 at 8:41 pm
You did indeed get your money’s worth from the little Jelly Bean. You were very lucky with that little gem. Maybe you can find another one in the spring. Either that or a Cavalier. They are pretty long lasting or a Toyota…they are legendary in their life expectancy. See you soon. Love ya lots…
September 25th, 2006 at 2:00 pm
I’m not sure what we’re going to do about the car situation at this point. At the moment, we’re considering rebuilding it, which would cost about the same as a reliable used car, but then we’d know exactly what we were getting for our money instead of taking a gamble. I guess we’ll just have to see how it works out on the money side of the equation.