Generous Sister Frightened

In 1969 when Deb graduated from Gateway Regional High School she hadn't decided to go to college so my parents decided to give her a new car for a graduation present. She got a dark green Toyota Corolla.

My friend Rodney Hinwood's family had moved to Rockville, Indiana and I wanted to drive out and visit him. Rodney was having a tough time adjusting to life in very rural Rockville after suburban Wenonah. To make matters worse he had to switch high schools for his senior year.

I asked Deb if I could borrow her car to go out there. She very generously let me borrow it. I left early in the morning and there was virtually no traffic on the Schuykill Expressway (I-76) as I went under the 30th Street railroad station in Philadelphia.

There was a huge coil spring from some sort of vehicle right in the middle of the lane that could pose a dangerous obstacle if commuters later in the day began dodging the spring. To avoid a problem later I pulled over and scooped up the spring. I put it on the floor of the driver side seat and forgot all about it. Apparently the spring rolled under the driver seat and out of sight.

Deb was driving the car a few days later and a quick start or something caused the spring to roll around making a big enough noise so that she heard it.  She was frightened thinking that the spring had fallen off her new car and I hadn't told her about it.

She left me know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't to be picking up things like that spring if I couldn't remember to get them out of her car afterward.