My dear Leslie, how you mean so much to me. I think about you often theses days. I think about the times we shared and the memories we made, this saddens me. I will miss your purr and your endless list of do it myself fix ups. You were here for it all and you will truly be missed.

I remember our very first drive. It was a little scary, but we made it through without any dents or scratches. It was winter already and we were both worried about the snow that had fallen and the roads that may have some ice patches. I knew your all wheel drive would never let me down. Then it happened, I pulled into high school excited to show you off to my friends. Although not all of them were impressed with your long wagon body and your pale green color, I knew you were mine and I was proud. I had bought you myself, a whole twenty five hundred dollars and an empty gas tank later and you were mine. I couldn’t have been more happy with you, my very first car.

So we continued, we continued to show you off to my friends as we saw how many goons we could really fit into you. It was three then five and then your wagon allowed for three more to sit a little squished but you held them all. You had successfully saved me from the loneliness of my house and opened up the doors to friendship. Thank you Leslie.

I also remember our very first accident, if you want to call it that at least. I was neglecting you and had not changed your brakes in some odd time while they probably should have been changed the month before, but I had faith that you would stop me if harm was in my way. This time you almost failed me. As the car in front of me stopped short in morning traffic I also had very little time to stop. I slammed on my brakes and then slowly slowly slid into the car in front of me, just nicking their bumper. I was in panic, my legs began to shake and I pulled to the side of the road. The women got out and looked at her car, nothing. She proceeded to tell me she was in her pajamas, although I could clearly say that, and that she wanted to get back into her car. I let her do so. You then drove my shaky legs and panicked mind to my destination without any scratches or dents left behind. We made it out of our first accident.

Leslie, beyond our very first drive and accident you will be missed most of all because of where you have brought me and when you have been there for me. You allowed me to learn so much. You were my tester car, I learned I couldn’t go fifty miles an hour around the closest turn or that messing with my friends by squeezing may cause my car to flip. You taught me that I can’t put too much transmission fluid in you and that an oil change is a lot simpler to perform yourself than paying someone to do it. You taught me that I can build up something and make it my own. You allowed me to become knowledgeable about cars, where I am no longer frightened when my car stops running or it won’t start. You have prepared me. You have also been there through it all. You have caught my tears when I had no one to run to and you ran with me. You have been there when I needed a place of solitude that I could call mine. You were there when I needed you most, for this you will be missed. You are the one that knew all my secrets and all my miseries without judgment. You were my very first car.

RIP Leslie, I will not allow a timing belt to snap on my future cars.