2003-06-10 - 2:47 p.m. Awakening 9 Carwash 6/13/86 As we pulled up to the yellow brick building with the rusty brown roof, I wonder what these cars have being waiting in line for. I can�t read yet. My father cranks down the window of his Chrysler. A greasy looking man comes over, chewing on something wadded in his left cheek. �Standard, or full Body?� My father replied �full body.� �Undercarriage?� �If you are gonna do it, do it right,� my father said as he gave the man a twenty. I wondered what all this foreign talk was concerning. I wondered what an undercarriage was. Then my dad said that we were going to go through a tunnel and the car was going to be cleaned and waxed. I got kinda excited because that sounded like fun. My Mom said that I could take my seat belt off and look around, but only in the tunnel, not when we were actually driving. I obliged as I snapped off my seat belt and scattered to the other window to press my face against it and look out. The tunnel began with a locking sound and the whir of a motor and pistons pumping. The car slowly moved under a long black tarp. The car suddenly is engulfed in a downpour. The water is being sprayed on all sides back and forth on the car. I can make through the wet distorted glass these machines with tiny little water jets. They look like the chalk holders that music teaches use to draw straight lines, and I used to spell �school drools� five times. The water had become soapy and was running off all sides. I got worried quickly as I told my parents that I was worried the water would come inside, but they assured me that wouldn�t happen. It didn�t But I watched in awe as the next part came and the wax jets sprayed the car, and then I worried again about wax getting onto the windows, like candle wax. My Dad said not to worry. And then the Washers came. These spinning wheels of fuzzy cloth like a cocker spaniel running all around the car. They rubbed against the side of the car and against the wheels and the doors. I worried again and told my parents it would take the paint off, or maybe dent the car. They both told me not to worry. I dashed back and forth in the back seat getting a good look at the wheels. Then I heard a slapping noise on the hood; A large, loud thump. I couldn�t see the outside. I couldn�t see out the front windshield. These long slippery octopus tentacles were draped over the car. Still nervous, I whimpered �I think this octopus is gonna eat us.� And my parents laughed. But I was scared. As the tentacles let go we drifted out when these loud machines turned on. It sounded like Jet Turbines and rumbled in the tunnel. It was so loud I covered my ears. The jets were so powerful they forced the water off the car. I didn�t know what to think. I just kept my mouth shut. We had made it this far, and my parents didn�t seem concerned, so I bit my tongue, though my heart was pounding. And then we approached the black wall and I knew we were going to hit it. I jumped into my seat and tried to throw my buckle on, but I couldn�t before we hit the wall, my face was blinded. The sun left me sightless as the car cut through the doorway. The tunnel�s darkness was gone and it was bright and hot again. My father and mother pulled the car over and got out. My mom came to show me the car. It was dripping, but shinny and shimmering in the sun. It wasn�t at all how I expected. I never realized what was going on, but the car looked brand new. My fears were empty, because the car was unscathed. I was amazed, in awe of the results. It was like a magic trick where the magician appears where you least expect it. The only thing that changed was my perception. I have loved the carwash ever since. | |||||||||||
