I met Pierre in November 2010 in Janesville, WI. It was a purchase of a 1999 Nissan Altima with 74,000 miles on it for $5,000. Pierre was intended to be my first vehicle, basic and sufficient until I became an experienced driver and had the funds to purchase an upgrade. Together we traveled over 111,000 miles across this country. We traveled through Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. Pierre was the first place that I could call my own. A safe place in which I could wholeheartedly be myself in every second of every day we were together.
As I grew through high school and wore him down, he continued to stay loyal. During my years of rebellion he held all my secrets. When I fell in love and ended up in heartbreak he witnessed the joys, the laughs and tears. Oh the amount of tears he absorbed over the years on our long drives together, allowing me time to process and work things out on my own. When I was injured he helped me get home. Together we celebrated so many firsts and lasts including high school graduation, starting college, ending college, my first career job interview, first day of work and last day of work at my first job, moving into my first apartment. We shared sunrises, sunsets, rainstorms and snow falls. Oh the many monarch we had fly up the windshield over the years. I grew up behind that steering wheel when we were together.
Pierre held up after the countless curb checks (one median check), break slams, one bumper accident, and the countless scratches, dents and a good amount of rust obtained around his frame. I appreciate that he never left me stranded, and the one time we called it close I was warned with loss of power steering on the Milwaukee interstate. You see, the two of us were in tune and that’s what comes along with nine years of friendship. At times he got on my nerves with his quirks. When I accelerated speed on the on ramp to the interstate I would have to turn off the A/C. In town in the winter the defrost wouldn’t work on the windshield. The gear shift would need pressed back every so often and ever so slightly to stay in drive. Pierre had no key fob which resulted in a game of hide in seek through the college parking structure on many occasions. When I entered adulthood we played the same game in parking lots. After a year or so the key no longer worked on the trunk lock. If I couldn’t unlock the drivers door the passengers door was a safe bet. I bent a whole lot of keys over the years. With all of those quirks out in the open, you may understand the amount of shit Pierre witnessed me talking about him with my intended plans to replace him in the future.
It wasn’t until our last few weeks together when I realized our time was running out that I began to understand the heart that comes with an old car and its owner. Together we made a good team. After several years of his life we met, and he was my stability through some of the most influential years of my life. I am so thankful for the friends and family who loved this old car just as much as I did. On our last few days together I became tearful realizing the transformation that life has brought me in the last nine years behind that wheel. Pierre was there to silently witness it all. We said our final goodbye after nine years of friendship in November of 2019, and you bet I gave him the biggest hug.
With all of that being sad, it was a bittersweet day when I started a friendship with my new friend. Heartbroken as I stepped away from a long transformational chapter of my life, and welcomed myself one more step into adulthood. Each day I remind myself how truly grateful I am to call Ember a 2017 Ford Escape my very own.
