Elena's new car

Well it finally happened. Elena has an other car. In a sense it is new, new to her. It's a 2003 Ford Taurus. It has 91,000 miles on it about. I drove it and it is quiet and a very nice car. With the money she got for them totaling the Toyota, $1,846.83 and $553,17 from her savings she will be the proud owner of this car.
       It's been a bit of a long and winding road to get here and if it wasn't for Teri's dogged determination we would still be looking for cars on the internet and at gas stations.
       This all started back on June 16th, I think. I'm at work and I get a call from Elena she's been in an accident. She is ok, but suddenly the distance I work from home is very great. It takes me half an hour to get to where the accident happened. When I got there both cars were in the parking lot of a dentist office on Rt 304. Her car had a crumbled front fender and two flat tires. It didn't seem bad. Chris Kelly towes the car away and so begins the long drawn out process of solving this car problem. Teri calls Franchino's Allstate office at some point and they tell her the money will be put in our account in a short while, I'm amazed at the speed. That person also didn't know what they were talking about. That phone call makes me think it's done and I ignore the calls from Allstate. When I do answer them a week later I'm told no such payment is on the way and Elena and the other driver have to make statements. Elena and I call one day and she answers questions, I clarify them when necessary. The other driver, a sixteen year old driving with only a permit and no licensed driver ignores all requests to be interviewed. It's mid-August by now and we are starting to get anxious about what Elena will drive. Nastia has been a trooper about sharing her car. When they both work and I get home after they have left there is no problem, they have worked out a driving schedule and who has the car picks up the other one. They've been true sisters during this, never a fight over it.
      About a week ago Allstate says the other side never responded to requests to be interviewed and because of that they are accepting 100% responsibility for the accident. We start looking for a car. Cheap cars, but a little more then her first budget. I get a little gutsey and bring up a subject that caused a nasty fight between us several weeks ago. I say why doesn't she take out a small loan. Teri doesn't think it is a good idea still. I still disagree, but resist going further.
   A day or two later Teri says she has found a car. It a 2003 Buick Alero in Pearl River. It was made during GMC's bad period  in the early 21st century six years before they declared bankruptcy. The guy wants 3 grand for it. We look at it and it is nice. I don't take any pictures of it. The interior is clean and the car looks very well cared for. The radio looks a little beat. Dan, the owner gives his speech about his little old lady grandmother driving it and they wanted to use it, but they have one child and his wife is expecting twins in a little while and it is too small for his new family. Elena and I take it out for a drive. In retrospect that was a mistake. I should have driven. She drives around the block and when she is going slow I hear a clunking sound. I've heard that sound often on cars and it is never a good sound or cheap fix. After losing cars because we've waited I've gotten a little quick to pull the trigger. I negotiate a price of $2,400.00 A good price if there is no problem with the front end. Teri is not happy. Nastia calls David who will be in town the next day and he agrees to go see the car. When We get home I call Eric and he tells me it could be a CV joint or something like that. Parts would cost about $400.00 then labor.
     So the next day David goes with Elena and Nastia to see the car. They get there and it pours, so they don't see much and don't drive it. I call later that evening and tell Dan we are backing out of the sale.
       A few days later Teri sees another car online. Her and I go to see it. It's a Ford Taurus just like my mothers car. It's blue and very clean. I drive it around the block and I listen for any odd sounds. The car is very quiet and I hear nothing. It is a very quiet car for having 92,000 miles. This time with Teri's permission  I ask the couple, whose daughter owns the car what is their best. They say $2,500. I hold out my hand to shake theirs and say $2,400.00 They wait a moment and say yes. So Elena owns what looks like a nice car.















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