Everybody, meet Darlene.

Some of you may recall that last semester I was involved in a smallish sort of accident, wherein I was sitting in a turn lane onto an highway and a not-very-nice man who was going too fast bumped poor Elwood from behind and crunched his left back bumper. Elwood bore it cheerfully, and since we got him fixed a couple of months ago he has been peppier than ever. 

Well.

Last week, I was sitting in a turn lane onto a highway, and a not-very-nice man who was going too fast bumped Elwood from behind. Again. Only this time the entire left back bumper split and came off, the trunk door was dinged, and a vent and a breaklight crushed.  Elwood was steadfast and stalwart and trusty and resisted that big mean SUV with all his might and main, so I didn't get jostled about much at all.  But poor Elwood has lost his shiny new bumper, of which he was so proud.  

We took Elwood to the shop yesterday, and he should be up and going again by Monday. In the meantime, I am riding about town with Darlene, my first rental car.  Darlene is some kind of small Chevrolet, with a very no-nonsense plain black exterior and a very no-nonsense plain tan interior. Darlene grew up in a smallish town about a hundred miles from here, and now that she is a big city car she feels the need to be (in her words) 'real classy and elegant,' which is why she is so plain and black.  She is very goodhearted, and became a rental car at a collision repair center because she wanted to help people in need.  She listens to people's stories about their wrecks and says 'aw sugar, I just know it wasn't your fault!' I miss Elwood very much, but Darlene and I are getting along just fine.  She swishes when you turn the wheel and whiffles when you put on the brakes, which is very companionable to someone who is used to Elwood's rattle and the way he grumbles when he has to go faster than 50 mph.

But lovely though Darlene may be, I will be very happy to see Elwood again. Elwood is a Friend.