Gettin' Grown

We drove to Whangarei disguised as grown-ups today with Paula. We were on our way to make a potentially enormous and most definitely adult purchase, on the one hand it would greatly expand our freedom and flexibility and on the other it would drastically lessen what meager savings we brought with us. We went to Whangarei to buy a car. I was calm and collected on the drive over, Ryan supplied us with a thorough checklist, we knew what we wanted to spend and all we had to do was make it happen. Katie was a nervous wreck, worrying over all the things I was trying not to think about. Once we walked up to the dealers my heart began to race. The car was sitting there, front and center, waiting for us. Perched on its little black wheels, its coat of paint gleaming through the rain, it reminded me of an eager puppy waiting to be taken home, ok, not really, but I felt like a potential new dog owner, making the walk up to the pound, suffering equal swells of excitement and terror. We greeted the dealer and checked out the car. I pretended to know what I was doing, asking carefully worded questions about the condition of the timing belt while concentrating on the messy tangle of tubes and bolts that make up the underside of a hood, nodding casually as though I not only understood but approved of what I was seeing. We took it for a test drive without the dealer. Katie noted that it looked pretty and that it was roomy and comfortable, we also wondered if the engine was “too noisy” and if it was what the hell that meant. Obviously, we had to get our game faces on before we got back and started the dreaded haggling. Paula kindly left us to it and we walked into the dealer's office. Nervously we sat down, Katie being the appointed haggler (purely based on her background in business) began her spiel about how we knew the price was $3000 but that we were on a budget, we were traveler's and then threw in the bit about needing a new timing belt for dramatic effect. He scoffed. (dammit we had been found out) Katie said firmly, “we will give you $2500” (super baddass). “Oh well”, he said, drawing it out slowly like a used car salesman (oh wait, shit), “It's really a bargain already, how about $2700”, this being followed by an awkward and painful silence. I chimed in, “well, how about $2600, then everyone is happy” immediately wishing that we had low-balled it from the get go, “well, sounds like a deal to me” he said. We had to pick up cash since he didn't take cards, we were giddy and anxious and shaking all the way to the ATM. Let me tell you, pulling out $2600 in cash at once is a horrible feeling, your stomach sinks and your face drops as the stupid machine keeps spitting 50's at you, you slump over as you casually try to stuff them all in your wallet, your hands tremble as you force it closed. On the walk back we still couldn't believe what we were doing, but we handed over the small mountain of money, signed the papers and walked out the proud and responsible new owners of a modest and economical Honda Integra (yeah, cars are named differently here). The dealer parted with this advice, “stay to the left girls, always to the left”.