On 18 October 2023, I sold off my first ever car that I bought. We had more cars than drivers in the household, so after the loan was finally paid out, We decided to sell it off.
It was a pretty good ride, considering it being a “budget” version of the Persona. Its handling was responsive, making for a spritely drive befitting its brilliant blue colour. It served me well during my agency days for my daily commute.
During the COVID lock down, many lose their jobs for one reason or the other. One of them is Arif, a security guard working for the house opposite us. He became a friend over the years and gained my trust & sympathy. So when he told he had lost his job and had a car accident, I had agreed to rent the Persona to him for a very low monthly rental fee. But as time went on, I had not seen a single sen from him. And he had been silent with no news nor updates regarding the car and the backlog of rent due.
End of 2022, I contacted him telling him my intention to sell off the car. I had offered it to him, seeing as to how he seems to need it. But life got in the way, and I was busy with this and that, and didn’t act on it until October of 2023. He was being rather dodgy when the time came to deliver the car back to me. Mind you, by this point he has yet to pay a single sen of the rental amount due for nearly 2 years of use. I started to feel uneasy about it. I managed to track him down (he had moved house and failed to inform me!) along with my car.
My heart sank into a seething rage as I find the car in a condition worse than when I had given it away. The bumpers, front and rear, had sagged off its mounting. During the whole time, the car wasn’t given its annual service. Road tax not renewed. Worse of all, there was a huge gash near the rear right tyre. He claimed it was the result of a hit-and-run. I gave him an earful – why wasn’t I informed of the accident. All he could offer was a feeble “I was too embarrassed to tell you.”. I had to walk away and let my brother-in-law step in and deal with him. Otherwise, no telling what I would do to him.
Even after all this, he still had the gall to ask to hold on to the car, saying his whole family depended on it. When asked how does he intend to pay for it, on top of the amount due up to that point, he could only give a vague, non-committal “When I find work…”. It was clear I was not going to get my money from him anytime soon. I left with the car, and a deep sense of my trust betrayed.
I had to take the car for repairs before I could sell it off. Luckily, the workshop did a wonderful job of restoring the car. After a good wash, thorough service & road tax renewal, I sold the car at a local used car dealership (the bigger app-based dealers wouldn’t take the car, for some reason). Alhamdulillah, the transaction was smooth, and I felt a bittersweet relief as I let the car go, holding the fond memories close to myself.
Farewell, buddy. Thank you for your service.
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