26 July 2013
# 3023

	Owned by Will Mahle "mahlew" Bolter # 28475 Huntsville, AL

1966 Chevy C10 Stepside

"Anna"

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From Heaven (Mrs. Mahle) :

We're broke but the tax refund is due in any day!

It was our seventh wedding anniversary and Will had taken the day off work. Knowing that he'd always longed for an "old truck," we decided to go for a drive into Ardmore where we knew an "old blue rust bucket" had been parked for years. We thought we might see if it was for sale.

My husband was excited! So many times we had driven past this old blue rust bucket in the past seven years, alas on this day …. it was gone! Just a bare piece of grass where the old blue rust bucket had stood for so long.

"Oh well" we both agreed. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be"

My husband was sad!

So further on up the road we drove, found a little café and in we went for lunch. Naturally my gutted hubby didn't enjoy our lunch date at all. It's hard to swallow when your heart is broken! He had waited seven years for my permission (if you like) to get an old truck. He thought this was going to be his lucky day.

As fate would have it though, on the way home, hubby spotted another old truck for sale -- a white one. A 1966 Chevy Stepside.

We figured we had nothing to lose by stopping and asking some questions. So that's what we did.

Of course remember, we're broke!

"Oh she's a runner. In great condition" said the salesman! As he would of course!

He cranked her up and she sounded awesome! It's hard to explain but when you know the sound of an old V8 blasting and it's a sound you love, it kinda gets your blood running just a little faster than normal!

My husband is delighted -- but I'm pretty dubious! "Only $4000 and she's yours!" Clearly that's a good price for her (presuming you have $4000!). We didn't. We left.

My husband was, for the second time already on our anniversary, heartbroken. Hubby won't stop talking about this old Stepside.

"How can we get the money? Should we go ask the bank for a loan? Should we just forget it?"

With all these questions going on inside his head, he jumped in the shower. While he was in there, I ran across the road to our neighbor and very quickly explained the situation, and that our tax refund was due any day and asked him if he could lend us $4000.

With a smile he said "sure." Just like that!

I gave him a little hug and quickly ran back across the road again. Hubby was still in the shower so I called the salesman and this is what I said "Put a SOLD sticker on that old truck – it's mine! If ANYONE calls, including and especially my husband, tell them it's sold. Okay?"

They were onboard with my scheme and I was very happy!

Hubby gets out of the shower and after all his thinking, he announces "We just can't do it. It's best we forget it, huh?"

I try and convince him that if they would just wait for our tax return to come in, we can get her. We have nothing to lose by asking, right? So call them!

Hubby's feelings have been roller coasting for hours now! With the chance that they may just accept our plea, he was all excited again! By this time, I was feeling just a little evil!

I gave him the phone and the number. He was so excited that he dialed the wrong number first! The second time he dialed, he got through and his face dropped when the salesman told him "I'm sorry dude; I just sold that truck."

I think I could see the moisture welling up in hubby's eyes! His arm dropped to his side with the phone still in it. He looked quite pitiful!

"It is what it is" I said, mending none of his feelings!

We continued to get ready and went about our anniversary as we'd planned before all this excitement.

Monday morning my neighbor and I went to the bank and got the pennies. He drove me to the old truck and we drove back home in convoy. I called my hubby at work and told him that Anna was here and she insisted that she was going to wait here 'til he got home, as she really needed to see him.

He was SO confused! He was asking all sorts of questions and I had no really good answers for him! The only good answer I had was when he asked me to describe this Anna and all I told him was that … she looks old!

When my husband came home that afternoon, he saw her parked up on our driveway! He didn't quite understand until I jumped out of the garage and gave him the keys!

"THIS is Anna I said! It's short for anniversary."

Well that was that! My husband was over the moon. His face looked like he'd won the lottery! As did mine because I'd been able to make him that happy.

Now for those of you that know about men and their beloved old trucks and cars, this will come as no surprise. To the other's who don't, take this as a warning!! Anna is my husband's love. Anna very easily pulls money from my husband's wallet! When Anna wanted new shoes (tires), she got them in an instant! When Anna wanted new eyelashes (wipers), Anna got them! Anna gets spa treatment every weekend …. do I? No!

I feel like I'm the other woman in my husband's life now! I so often hear these words ... "But Anna wants ... but Anna needs."

When my hubby was going to be recovering from something really awful, bedridden pretty much, for weeks, he parked Anna in our garden so that he could look at her through the window while he was recovering! When he got a little stronger, he took his walker out in the garden and did Anna-laps to gain strength!

Anna this Anna that! Am I sick of hearing about Anna? No, not really! I love her too --

Anna's details: 1966 C10 Stepside, automatic, 327 four barrel A picture of her has also been signed by Richard Rawlings and Aaron Kaufman from the television show Fast and Loud.

Heaven

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