Day 93-Elder, Where's our Car? or Couldn't I Have a Normal Day, Just Once?

We're getting a WHAT in our area? My companion got a call from our Zone Leaders and apparently we are getting a car for the rest of the transfer. Now, normally I wouldn't worry. After all, I may be certified, but I am still the junior companion. Mission rules dictate that the senior companion is in charge of driving.

I just want to remind you that yes, I do have my drivers license. It was a long, frustrating hard battle, but I got it. If only for the fact that I needed to get it before coming out on my mission. Which gives you some idea about how I feel when it comes to the whole driving thing.

If you recall, my companion, (the senior companion) broke his arm. That is why we are getting a car. He can't ride a bike with a broken arm. To cut to the chase, I don't want to drive. I've said it before. I can drive! I just don't like to. We'll see what happens.

Wha' happen? At two o'clock this afternoon, the assistant to the mission pres. showed up with the (echo) keys to our new car..."Congratulations, Elder Pierce! You've got a Brand New Mazda 3." "M-me?" I asked. "Yeah, you get to drive!"

They were all smiles and staring at me. You know how I feel about combustable engines! I hesitantly took the keys. They talked about Pres. B and how he is going home in a couple of days. They said that he was getting a little trunky.

TRUNKY; (trun-key)-missionary slang meaning ready to go home.

(Elder Pierce drew a cartoon of his mission pres. in golf attire complete with golf clubs, knickers and a plaid tam with a pom pom on top. He is talking on the phone..."Yeah, sure. Give 'em a car. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some things to do today.")

The AP's said that we will have the car for the rest of the transfer. I have to say that this transfer is doing a lot to make it the most memorable one. What with my companion breaking his arm and now a car! We still have two weeks left! Who knows what could happen?

So...I went outside to check out the car. It was a beaute! Almost made me wish I had some knowledge about how it works. Elder D. took my picture beside it. Then we headed to visit R. It had been over a week since we had seen him not counting church. Elder D. called R. Saturday night to make sure he was coming to church. R. was reluctant to go. Elder D. said, "Come on R., you've gotta be there. I wanna show you my broken arm." "You broke your arm? "Yeah!" "How?" "I'll tell you at church tomorrow." "All right. I'll be there." And that's how we got R. to church.

It's about a 5 minute drive from our place to R's. We got there at 3:10pm. I made sure to find an empty visitors parking space. "Restricted. Restricted. Ah, here we go, Visitors!" So we parked and went in to see R. The moving was well under way. His sister was packing up to move. There were boxes everywhere. After about 40 minutes we told R. that we should probably be going. We walked outside. The time was 3:50pm. OUR CAR WAS GONE!!! The place where I parked it, was empty. It wasn't there. I locked it. I know I locked it. Elder D. thought, "Great! We've been car-jacked."

Before we had too much time to start panicking, R's sister came out with some moving boxes for the U-haul. "Was that your red car they just towed away?" As it turns out, the policy at R's sisters town home complex is strict. The landlord hires a tow truck to go around and tow any car that is not registered. When you live in these town homes you register your liscense plate number along with your house number so that when the tow truck comes prowling around, they will pass by your car. This is much like the Isrealites when they were commanded to sacrifice a lamb and smear the blood on their doors so the Lord would smite only the Egyptian homes. (Exodus 12: 21-30)

Now you may be wondering, as I still am, why we were towed from a VISITORS PARKING. It did not say "Restricted" on it. Elder D. and I went around and looked. We couldn't find any signs that said it wasn't okay to park there. They had signs saying not to park in restricted. All of the parking spaces in the complex say RESTRICTED except for the visitors parking spaces.

Elder D. called the tow place. They were rude to him. They said, "If ya wanna gitcher car back, ya gotta pay the fine." Its $130! That works out to be $65 each for Elder D. and myself. Not feeling that we should have to pay the fine, Elder D. asked why. The tow guy said that he was just doing his job. They got their orders from the landlord. All visitors cars must be registered on the visiting cars list. The problem is, there are no signs anywhere posting that little rule.

I don't know what is going to happen. We'll pay the fine, of course. I'm not a happy camper. Elder D. wants to punch something, but he can't because of his arm.

I miss Maddie (Elder Pierce's mother thinks this is after Maddie Hayes from Moonlighting, but has yet to confirm this suspicion). That's the name of my Mazda 3 that was taken. Elder D. talked with some of the higher ups in our mission about getting her back. They can do it, but it'll cost us...$65 each.

Oh, Maddie, we'll always have those magical 5 minutes driving from our place to R's. I can't believe it. We get a car and within an hour it gets towed. That's gotta be a mission record. If President B. thought he could leave in peace he didn't reckon with the Elders of Herndon. Talk about a great introduction for President W. I can see it now. He'll read our report. "Let's see... In the Herndon area, Elder D. broke his arm a little over a week ago...President B. gave them a car so they could continue working...Good, good...within one hour after obtaining and driving said vehicle, it was towed...hmmm...What? There was more to the story of the bike crash!...something about a mulberry...What a couple of knuckleheads."

No, seriously, good times are just around the corner. Sleep well, my beloved Maddie.