'Pookie's Year in the Country'
Pookie was very sad. His owner had to go all the way to Korea because he was a big important Captain in the Army, and Pookie could not go along on the voyage. So Pookie's owner left him with his mother. Now this was a bit of a disappointment to Pookie, because for one thing, she was a girl. And everyone knows girls don't know jack about wonder cars. But Pookie was determined to make a go of it because he could tell how much his owner trusted his mother to take good care of him.
So after the shock of his owners departure, Pookie valiently tried to show off his sterling qualities to the girl creature, all his wonderful accoutraments, sun roof, cruise control, and killer sound system. But she whined about this and that....he was too low to the ground, he had too many buttons to push, and what did they all DO anyway ? He went too fast downhill, he had no four wheel drive (she was used to driving a.....shudder....sport utility vehicle.) And in the final insult, which cut Pookie to the rims, she said he looked like a drug dealer's car. Pookie tried not to hold this against her, but it was a struggle. Until the snow storm.
Late one afternoon they set out for parts unknown. They were supposed to go over a big mountain pass to get one of the Captain's brothers, Andrew. The weather looked foul, but Pookie did not complain. Even though the whining girl had called him a "city car" several times, which hurt his feelings. Well, they got caught in a snow storm. The girl did not even know how to put on the chains that Pookie carried in his trunk so faithfully for just such an occasion. She had to ask a truck driver to help put them on. And Pookie overheard her saying to him that she didn't know that the chains went on the front tires ! (Girls.....geez...) Anyway, they drove slowly up the road and finally had to stop for 4 hours at the top and wait there in the dark until some trucks could be helped off the mountain. Pookie began to feel sorry for the girl, because he could tell she was scared, she kept singing songs to herself to keep her mind off the tense situation. Finally, they started to move down the mountain, and the girl talked lovingly to Pookie encouraging him, telling him he could make it and everything was going to be all right, (which of course Pookie already knew, but it was nice to hear anyway.) They made it safely down the mountain and another truck driver had to help her take off his chains. But Pookie noticed how grateful she was to the driver and how nice she was to other people who needed help on the mountain, and he began to change his mind about her.
Well after the mountain adventure, the girl never doubted Pookie's abilities again, in fact she began to sing his praises to everyone who would listen. How brave Pookie had been in the snow storm and how trustworthy. And that Pookie was not just a "city car" after all, but that he was Pookie the Wonder Car, a mountain goat of a car, a jewel of a car, a prince of a car and didn't he have the finest lines and the most perfect color of any car on the road today ? (she can get carried away) But Pookie didn't mind, he drank it in like the best quality oil that soothed his ruffled bearings.
And now, the girl and Pookie are fast friends. They cruise around town, showing off Pookie to his best advantage every time they get the chance. They even threw a little gravel in the high school parking lot and played their most bodacious techno music really loud with the windows rolled down to put the punks in their place for Benjamin her youngest son. Those punks were properly impressed with Pookie's finer points all right !
Their favorite thing to do together these days is to go for a ride and play the "Underworld" CD as loud as possible, cruising the country roads that Pookie has learned by heart. He loves it best when at the pause in the song "Cowgirl" she shouts... ‘ Whooooo!’ and then they dance together zipping down the road. ( Who would have thought a mother would like to listen to Techno music ?) Pookie decided the world is a very mysterious place.
Pookie will miss the girl when the Captain comes home. And he knows the girl will miss him, because he has heard her tell all her friends that she has to remind herself that Pookie belongs to the Captain, and one day she will have to watch his cute little tail lights flashing goodbye. So Pookie has made up his mind that when that day comes, he will flash his very best for her, maybe he will even honk his horn all by himself, in a cheerful goodbye, who can tell ?