CHAPTER TWO		Sara’s Baja

FOR SALE BY THIEF
2004 Subaru Baja 	

That was all that Sara could read on the sign in the car window as she rode by with her friend Mike. She had gotten her driver’s license a few weeks ago, and had been saving money, with help from her parents, for a long time to buy her own car. Her mother did not go out very often, so most of the time, Sara could take her mother’s car if she needed to go somewhere, but Sara, like many teenagers, wanted her own car.
Her first bicycle had amplified her love of independence, and owning a car would give her even greater freedom. She loved her parents, and got along well with them for the most part, but took pride in their confidence in her decision making. Her parents trusted her, and put very few restrictions on her activities. 
“Did you see that sign on the Baja beside the road?” asked Sara. 
“No,” said Mike. “I didn’t happen to notice it.” 
“It said ‘for sale by thief’,” laughed Sara. 
“Really?” asked Mike. “Creative way of getting attention, that’s for sure.” 
“You know, a Baja could be a good car for me,” said Sara. She had been researching different cars, trying to decide what kind of car she would like to buy. She had narrowed it down to about four different cars, and the Baja was near the top of the list. 
“Well, we’ll check it out on the way back,” said Mike as he pulled into the parking lot of the parts store. He needed some spark plugs and other things for a car he was working on, and Sara had gone along for the ride. She enjoyed talking with Mike about cars and other things. He had been working on cars for years, and amazed Sara with his knowledge of everything about cars. 
Sara was not really interested in working on her own car, but she did want to learn how to take care of it, especially with regard to preventative maintenance. Mike had an easy going way about him, and enjoyed talking about cars with just about anyone. Sara enjoyed being with Mike, but did not realize he was growing fonder of her every time he saw her. He thought she was very pretty, even though she hardly ever wore makeup or got dressed up. He was seriously thinking about asking her out, but had not been able to muster the courage to do so. 
“That will be seventy nine ninety five, please,” said the clerk at the counter. Mike took his wallet out and paid for the spark plugs, but had a quizzical look on his face. 
“Dang,” said Mike. “There was something else I was thinking of getting while I was here, but I can’t remember what it is.” 
“That happens to me sometimes too,” said Sara as she tried to remember if Mike had mentioned anything on the way to the parts store. 
“Well, I practically live here, so I’ll just have to get it the next time I’m here,” said Mike. 
“I guess we’re ready then,” said Sara. Then they walked out to Mike’s car and headed back to his house.
“Oh yeah. Don’t forget to stop at the thief’s house,” said Sara. “I’d like to check out that Baja.” Sara liked to be different, and the Baja was definitely not a typical car. It had a sporty sedan front with a pickup truck rear. She was initially attracted by its quirky looks, but having all-wheel drive was huge for Sara. Her mother’s car only had front wheel drive, and Sara preferred the extra sense of control that all-wheel drive gave her. Her father’s pickup truck was a standard, and learning how to drive a standard was on Sara’s to-do list.   
“I wonder if anyone’s home,” said Mike as he pulled into the driveway where the Baja was parked. 
“Well, if nobody’s there, we can still take a look at the car and call them later, assuming there’s a phone number on the sign,” replied Sara. Mike parked his car, and they got out and started to look at the Baja. “Good” said Sara “it’s an automatic.”  
From behind her, Sara heard “It’s a great little car, but my damn arthritis won’t let me drive it any more.” Sara turned around and saw an elderly man with a cane coming out of the front door of the house next to the driveway. “My name’s Joe, by the way,” he said while gingerly walking out to the Baja.  	“I’m Mike, and my friend Sara here is interested in buying your Baja,” said Mike. Then he added with a smile, “Unless it’s really stolen.” 
“Oh that,” laughed Joe. “Just tryin’ to get people’s attention. Seems to have worked today.” 
Joe slowly eased himself into the driver’s seat and started to pull the lever that released the hood latch. “Damn arthritis,” he said as he took his fingers off of the lever and rubbed them. 
“I’ll get it,” said Mike as he reached in and pulled the lever. 
“Thanks,” said Joe. 
Then Mike lifted the hood up and put the prop rod in place. “Looks fairly clean here,” said Mike as he gazed under the hood. 
“Oh yeah,” said Joe. “I figured if I took good care of her, she would take good care of me, and she did. I’d be keepin’ her if it wasn’t for this damn arthritis.” 
Mike got down and slid on his back under the front of the car and looked around. Then he got out from under the car, stood up and said, “Front looks good underneath.” 
“I’ll start it up, and you can take a listen to it,” said Joe as he turned the key in the ignition. “By the way,” he added, “she’s only got a hundred and ten thousand miles on her. Not bad for a 2004.” 
The car started and Mike was listening to the engine when Sara said, “While it’s running, let’s check the lights.” 
Mike stepped back from the front of the car and said to Sara, “I’ll check the front, and you can get the rear.” 
Sara went to the back of the car and said, “Lights, camera, action.” 
Joe smiled and yelled, “Hang on; I’m slammin’ on the brakes,” as he stepped on the brake pedal. “No biggie, but,” said Sara, “it needs a new bulb on the right side.”  
The rest of the lights worked, and Joe shut the car off. When Sara started looking at the tires, Joe said, “Relatively new brakes, front and rear. I’ve got the paperwork from Smitty’s Garage. I’d a done it myself if it wasn’t for this damn arthritis.” 
“Tires look good,” said Sara, “but does it have a spare?” 
“Yep. Under the bed if you want to check it,” replied Joe. “There’s an access panel for it in the bed. I’ll show you now so we don’t forget about it.” Joe eased himself out of the driver’s seat and hobbled to the back of the car. They checked out the spare tire, and it was fine. “You can check the car out some more if you have the time,” said Joe, “but I gotta get in the house. Must be gonna rain soon. My damn arthritis gets worse just before it rains.” 
Sara looked up and saw that it was starting to get very cloudy. Mike looked up at the sky too and said, “I think we can get this done before it rains, so let’s go. I know Smitty, and he does a good job, so we won’t have to check the brakes.” 
Mike checked the exhaust system while Sara checked the interior. “Not perfect down there,” said Mike after he got out from under the car, “but it should last another two, maybe three years.” 
Sara finished checking the interior, and got out of the car saying, “Looks good; a little bit worn here and there, but nothing real bad.” 
“Ok,” said Mike. “Let’s take a look at the oil and other fluids.” Mike showed Sara how to check the oil, transmission fluid and brake fluid, and mentioned that the color of the fluid was an important indicator of the condition of that particular system in the car. “Fluids are clean, and everything else looks pretty good,” said Mike as he closed the hood. “He doesn’t have a price on the sign in the window, so let’s go see what he says.” 
They walked up to the house and knocked on the door. “What do you want now? Can’t you see I’m busy sleeping,” said Joe as he opened the door with a nasty look on his face that quickly changed to a sly smile. “So waddya think; ain’t she a beauty?” asked Joe. 
“You mean the car or Sara,” countered Mike. Oh crap, Mike thought as he looked at Sara to get her reaction. Mike really liked Sara a lot, and did not want to mess things up in their relationship.  
Sara just smiled at him, and he smiled back, then turned to Joe and said, “Pretty decent car. How much you want for it?” 
Joe thought for a bit, then said, “Since it’s hot and I gotta get rid of it before the cops come, I’ll let it go for……No, gettin’ serious now, I think nine thousand nine hundred dollars is a damn good price for a beauty like that.”
Sara pulled her checkbook out of her pocketbook and said, “I’ll give you an autographed basketball for it right now.” Joe gave her a puzzled look and Sara said, “If I write a check for that kind of money, it’ll bounce from here to the moon.” 
Joe winked at Mike and said, “My kinda girl.” 
Damn, thought Mike she definitely is my kinda girl, but I’m too chicken to ask her out. 
Sara put her checkbook away, looked at Joe, and said, “I might be interested in giving you a deposit for the Baja, but I need to speak with Mike first.” 
“Help yourself,” replied Joe. “I’ll park this bag o’ bones on the porch here, and you two can have a seat on the bench over there and hash it out.” Joe pointed over to a wooden bench he had built near the edge of a meadow. He liked to sit out there and drink his morning coffee and watch the birds if his arthritis wasn’t acting up.
“Ok,” said Sara. “We’ll be back in a few minutes.” Sara and Mike walked over to the bench and sat down. “I really like the car,” said Sara, “but what do you think?” 
Mike thought for a minute, then replied, “Well, it seems to be in fairly good shape, nothing major wrong with it that I can see. Price seems a little bit high, but that’s up to you.” 
“Hhmmm,” sighed Sara. “I’ve done some research online about Bajas, and I think you’re right about his asking price.” 
Mike stood up and said, “Well, use your debating skills and whittle down the price.” 
“Good point,” said Sara. “I never thought of it that way, but negotiating a price is basically debating. Thanks for the tip.”
Mike and Sara walked back up to the porch where Joe was waiting for them. Sara decided to just make a much lower offer, and see what Joe thought. “I’ll give you seven thousand dollars for it, and not a penny more,” declared Sara in a determined voice. 
“Oh come on,” said Joe. “This beauty is worth a lot more than that. She’s in great shape, and not a lotta miles on her either.” 
Sara countered with “Yeah, but it’s going to need an exhaust system, the interior’s a bit worn, and the tires.” 
Joe cut her off with “Alright, alright, how about nine thousand dollars?” 
Back and forth they went for about fifteen minutes before Joe said, “Ok, Ok, you wore me out. You’re stealin’ her from me at that price, but I’m too worn out to argue any more.”
“Great,” said Sara as she took her checkbook back out of her pocketbook. “I’ll give you a deposit right now, and the rest of the money within two weeks.” 
“Oh, that’s ok, you don’t need to do that,” said Joe. “I’ll take the sign down, and if you don’t come back by then, I’ll just put the sign back up.” 
“Works for me,” said Sara, and Mike nodded in agreement while making a mental note to congratulate Sara on her negotiating skills. 
Joe gave Sara his phone number, and said, “Give me a call when you’re ready, and I’ll write up the paperwork for you.” 
“Thank you,” said Sara as she reached out to shake Joe’s hand. 
“My pleasure,” replied Joe as they shook hands. 
“See you in two weeks,” said Sara as she and Mike turned to walk back to his car. 
“See you then,” replied Joe as he wistfully watched them walk to Mike’s car. Oh, to be young again, and in love thought Joe. He did not know them very well, but thought they just belonged together naturally.
After they got in his car, Mike said, “Well, I think you got a pretty good deal.” Then he thought pretty good deal for a very pretty girl. One of these years I’ll screw up the courage to ask her out.
 “Good. I was just about to ask you about that,” replied Sara. 
“Yes, you did very well,” said Mike. “Negotiating the price of a car can be tricky, and like I said, I think you did very well.” 
Sara thanked him for the compliment then added, “Now I just have to talk to my parents about it. They’ve helped me to save for a car, but I’m just a little bit under what I need for this one.” 
Mike thought for a moment, then said, “Well, I can speak with them about the car, and explain that it’s a great price for a very decent car if that will help you.” 
“Great,” said Sara. “I’ll let you know if I need to have you do that. Thank you very much.” 
“My pleasure,” replied Mike.
Mike pulled into his driveway and parked next to Sara’s bicycle. When they got out of his car, Mike looked up at the sky and said, “Uh oh. Looks like it’s gonna rain soon. Do you want me to see if I can finagle your bike into the trunk of my car and give you a ride home?” 
Sara looked at the sky and said, “Nah. Thanks for asking, but I think I can make it home ok. I better get going now though.” Sara stuck out her hand to shake Mike’s hand and said, “Thanks for helping me get a good deal today.” 
Mike shook Sara’s hand and said, “My pleasure”, then impulsively kissed the back of her hand before he let go. 
Sara smiled at him, then got on her bike. “Au revoir,” she said as she rode away. 
“See ya later,” replied Mike. His heart was racing as he thought about what he had just done, and Sara’s reaction to it.
Interesting, thought Sara. I’ve never been kissed like that before. She mostly hung out with her friends at places like Pete’s Pizza Parlor, the town athletic fields and the swimming hole at the river, but she had been on a few dates where it was just a guy and her. Only one guy had tried to kiss her on the lips, but she managed to wiggle her way out of that without too much fuss. 
Suddenly, a dog’s loud barking brought Sara back to reality. She took a quick look in the direction of the barking and saw that the dog was in a fenced in yard. Then she felt a few rain drops, looked up at the threatening sky, and started peddling faster.  
By the time Sara got home, she was a little bit wet, but not soaked. She parked her bike in the garage, and went into the house. “Just in time,” said her mother. Sara looked out the window and saw that it was raining much harder now. 
“Hmmm. Maybe I’ll take a shower outside,” said Sara. “I’ll change into my bikini, grab some soap, and go out in the back yard.” 
“Go right ahead,” dared her mother. 
Sara gave it a thought and said, “Maybe next time.” Then she added, “I need to speak with you about something after I take a shower.” 
“OK, I’ll be in the living room,” replied her mother.
While she was in the shower, Sara thought about what she wanted to say to her mother. She appreciated that her mother let her use her car often, but Sara really wanted a car of her own. She decided to just speak her mind, and let the chips fall where they may. She was confident that she could make a good case for purchasing the Baja, and Mike had said he would speak to her parents if need be. She finished her shower, dried off, and got dressed. Well, here goes, she thought as she went downstairs to the living room. 
“I know that Dad needs to be in on this decision, but I just wanted to run this by you for now,” said Sara. 
“Hmmm. Sounds like a major decision,” replied her mother as she sat up on the couch. She had been laying down, reading a book when Sara came into the room. She put the book down on the coffee table and said, “Ready when you are.” 
Sara sat down on a chair near the couch, and took out her cell phone. She had taken a few pictures of the Baja, hoping they would help with her sales pitch to her parents. “I found a car that I would like to buy. I have a few pictures of it, and I’ll show them to you in a minute,” she said as she put her cell phone down on the table.
“What kind of car is it?” asked her mother.
“It’s a 2004 Subaru Baja” 
“Baja,” replied her mother with a quizzical look on her face. 
“Yes. It’s a great little car; sort of like a car and a pickup truck combined. It has room for four passengers, and the back compartment is set up with all kinds of options for storing my camping gear and whatever else I want to put in there.” Sara opened the photo gallery on her phone, and showed her mother the pictures of the Baja. 
“Well, it is a unique looking little car for a unique little girl,” said her mother. 
“Oh mother,” replied Sara with a bit of exasperation in her voice. “I know that you want me to always be your little girl, but I am growing up. I will always, always be here for you, but I need my independence as well.” Uh oh thought Sara, this is not going well. 
Her mother sensed Sara’s apprehension, and said, “Yes, I know dear, but it seems like you were just born yesterday, and now you’re ready to fly away.” 
“Oh good. I think Dad’s home,” said Sara as she got up and looked out the window toward the driveway. “I’d like to talk to him about this as well, if he has time right now.” 
Her father had arrived, and soon walked into the house. Sara greeted him and let him take his coat off before she said, “Dad, Mom and I have something we need to discuss with you.” 
“Uh oh, what did I do now,” joked her father. 
“It’s what you didn’t do,” laughed Sara. “Seriously, I just spoke with Mom about this, but if you have time right now, I’d like to add you to the mix.” 
“Stirred or shaken, either way, what’s up?” asked her father.
“Well, I think I’ve found a car that I would like to buy,” said Sara as she sat back down. 
“Ok. Maserati, or Lamborghini?” asked her father. 
“Oh. You payin’ for it?” asked Sara with raised eyebrows and a smile. 
“Ok, what did you really find?” inquired her father. 
“It’s a 2004 Subaru Baja, and I have a few pictures of it to show you,” said Sara while she retrieved the pictures in her cell phone. 
“Looks nice,” said her father. 
“It is. My friend Mike and I checked it out pretty good, and he said he thinks I negotiated a very good price for it,” said Sara. 
“Mike Bergeron,” replied her father with a quizzical look on his face. 
“No, no. Mike Bergeron doesn’t know beans about cars,” said Sara. “Computers, yes, cars, definitely not. My friend Mike Senecal knows all about cars. You could blindfold him, and he could still take apart and put back together any car engine in no time.”
Her father looked at her mother and said, “Well, what do you think?” 
“Sounds good, but how much does he want for the car?” asked her mother. 
This is the part Sara was worried about. She was a little bit short of what she needed just to buy the car, and would have to figure out how to pay for the registration and insurance. New Hampshire does not require automobile insurance, but Sara did not want to take that kind of chance. 
“I talked him down about three thousand dollars…well, maybe not that much, but I did get the price down quite a bit,” said Sara apprehensively. Then she added, “We agreed on eight thousand dollars. I’m about a hundred dollars short of that, plus I would need to pay the registration fee and insurance.”
“Did you give the guy a deposit?” asked her mother.
“No, but I told him I’ll be back in two weeks to buy the car,” said Sara. “He said he’ll hold it for me for that long, and if I don’t come back, he’ll just put the ‘for sale’ sign back up.” 
“Good. That gives us a little bit of time, and I think we can work something out for you,” said her father as he looked at her mother. 
“Yes, we can do that,” replied her mother. Then she looked at Sara and said, “I’ll call the insurance company Monday morning to see how much it will be to add you to our policy, and we’ll go from there.” 
“Great!!” said Sara. “Thank you both very much.” 
“You’re welcome,” replied her parents.
Sara went up to her bed room to call Mike and give him the news. Then she posted some pictures of the car, including one of the ‘For Sale by Thief’ sign, on her Facebook page. Sara checked her Facebook page maybe three or four times a week, but was more interested in outdoor activities than electronic devices. 
She knew that her dream of becoming an environmental engineer necessitated using computers quite often, but she just did not feel the need to spend much time on social media. Mike was glad to hear the news about the Baja, and told Sara that if she had any problems with the car after she bought it, he would be glad to help her resolve them.
Monday afternoon when Sara got home from school, her mother was waiting for her in the living room. “Good news,” her mother said as Sara came in the house. “It won’t break the bank to add you to our insurance policy.” 
“Excellent,” replied Sara. Then she thought for a moment and said, “I’ll have to call Joe and ask him how he wants me to pay for the car. I don’t want to carry that much cash, but I don’t think he’ll want a personal check either.” Sara called Joe, and found out that he was a member of the same credit union as Sara and her parents. 
She mentioned this to her mother, and her mother said, “Might as well take care of this now, if that’s ok with Joe.” Sara asked Joe, and he said his neighbor could drop him off at the credit union in half an hour if someone could give him a ride home. Sara asked her mother about giving Joe a ride home, and she said, “Sure, that’ll give me a chance to see your new wheels.”
“I miss her already, and she hasn’t even left me,” said Joe as he hobbled into the credit union where Sara and her mother were waiting for him. Then he added, “But I’m sure you’ll take good care of her.” 
“I will,” promised Sara. “I’ll bring her to the car wash once a month, maybe more often in winter.” Mike had told her that New England winters could be rough on cars, especially the salt used on the roads to melt snow and ice. He recommended washing and waxing the car once a month, and making sure that the car wash facility did an undercarriage wash as well.
When the money for the car had been deposited in Joe’s account, he signed the paperwork and handed it to Sara, along with the keys to the car. “Oh yeah, almost forgot this,” he said as he pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. He handed Sara the envelope and said, “Sorry that it’s a little bit smushed, but that’s the maintenance record I kept on my little beauty. Damn this arthritis, I really don’t want to sell her, but I don’t have any choice.” 
Sara took the envelope and said, “I promise I’ll take very good care of her for you, and bring her back to visit every once in a while.” 
Joe’s face lit up with a big smile, and he said, “Please do that. No need to call, just stop in any time.” 
After they walked out of the building, Sara’s mother brought her car to the front of the credit union so Joe wouldn’t have to walk across the parking lot. Sara and Joe got in the car, and Joe told Sara’s mother how to get to his house.
“There she is, your new little beauty,” said Joe as Sara’s mother pulled into his driveway. 
“It does look nice,” said Sara’s mother. They got out of the car, and walked over to the Baja. Sara’s mother got in, sat in the driver’s seat and said, “A lot more bells and whistles than on my first car. Lots more. I was lucky to have an AM-FM radio.” 
“Lucky indeed,” said Joe. “My first car didn’t even have a radio, but I sure had a blast with it.” 
Sara’s mother got out of the Baja and said, “Well, it was nice to meet you Joe, but we have to get going. I’ve got to get supper started, and Miss Procrastinator here needs to tackle Mt Laundry.” 
Sara rolled her eyes but smiled and said, “Thanks for airing my dirty laundry in public Mom.” Doing laundry was one of the few things that Sara’s mother had to nag her about. Sara didn’t know why, but she just hated doing laundry.
Joe looked at Sara’s mother and said, “Nice to meet you as well.” Then he turned to Sara and wistfully said, “You can pick her up any time you want. I took all of my stuff out of her, and she’s ready to go. You just need your plates and registration.” 
Sara sensed Joe’s feeling of loneliness, and made a mental note to make sure she visited him occasionally. The next day after school, Mike brought her over to the Lafayette town hall and she got her car registration and license plates. Then they went to Joe’s so Sara could pick up her new wheels. 
Joe was sitting on his porch when Mike pulled into his driveway and parked behind the Baja. When they got out of Mike’s car, Joe said, “I’d get up, but this damn arthritis has got me stuck in this chair for another hour or so. I forgot to take my medication this morning, so I took it a little while ago, and it hasn’t kicked in yet.” 
Then Mike and Sara went up to the porch and talked to Joe for a little while. Joe had been a mechanic earlier in his life, and he enjoyed talking with someone like Mike who knew all about cars. Sara listened for the most part, trying to pick up tips she could use for taking care of her Baja. Then Joe said, “Well, you might as well put the plates on and take her away. I’m gettin’ too sentimental sittin’ here lookin’ at her while we’re talkin’ shop.” 
Sara and Mike shook hands with Joe, and promised to come back and visit occasionally. Then they walked over to the Baja. Mike got a screwdriver out of the trunk of his car and started putting the plates on Sara’s new wheels. 
“All set,” said Mike as he stood up from attaching the front plate. Sara took the registration out of her pocket and put it in the glove box of her new wheels. 
Then she gave Mike a quick hug and said, “Thanks. You’ve been a real sweetheart, helping me out with this.” 
“My pleasure,” replied Mike. For a fleeting moment, Mike thought about telling Sara right then and there how he felt about her, but he decided this was not the best time or place to do so. Some other time, he thought, but it better be soon, or someone else will beat me to it.        
“Get that piece of junk out of my way,” said Sara to Mike with a laugh. “I’ve got places to go and things to do in my new wheels.” 
“Yes ma’am,” said Mike as he put his screwdriver away. Then he waved to Joe, got in his car and drove away. 
Sara walked up to the porch and said, “Thanks again, Joe, and we’ll come back to see you soon.” 
“My pleasure,” replied Joe, “and I’m lookin’ forward to seein’ both of you again.” 
Then Sara walked over to her new wheels. She got in and drove away, but kept thinking about what Joe had said about looking forward to seeing both of them again. 
She thought that Mike might ask her out, but she wasn’t sure if he would. She had even been thinking about asking him out, but felt it would happen either way if it was meant to be. She just knew that she liked being around him, and believed that he felt the same about her.