Goodbye to my first love

I took you in for an airbag light, and they quoted me $3,000 to replace your passenger seat. My heart sank, I knew what was coming. I remember getting the news that my brother was getting a new truck, and you were coming to me. I was not prepared for taking over the car payments. I didn't want you, you didn't appeal to me at all. When I got you, I got you in rough conditions. You were missing some paint here and there, wheels all torn up, emblem missing... I made it my biggest effort to turn you into my first car. I replaced your emblems, repainted the grill and door trims, replaced the hubcaps with OEM ones, cleaned out your interior, and hand washed you once a week. Remember when you cut my finger open and I needed 6 stitches a few weeks ago and I bled all over your hood? You made me work for you. People always said "Wow your car is so clean, you take good care of it," but wow they had no idea how much effort and emotion I put into your well-being. Your 2.0L inline 4 cylinder screamed like a banshee on highway on-ramps as I buried the tachymeter to 6,000 RPM. I couldn't pass cars on the highway without turning off the AC because you were so underpowered and weak. People always asked me why I didn't use the AC, even in the Florida heat. That was only a luxury when people were in my car with me. Your shifts were very janky and tough, and you gave me a run for my money. The amount of joy I felt when I payed you off after working my first job was immaculate. You were MINE. I began fixing you up cosmetically and mechanically, learning things along the way. You taught me how to change my own brake pads, engine filters, oil, cabin filters, rewrap a leather steering wheel, clean black grime out of the armrest (which left my fingers raw for three days)... you made me work for you. You taught me how to take care of something that is yours. You took a lot of abuse. I took you into the sandpit near my house and tried doing slides with you. I learned how to counter-steer and control the car under bad conditions in that lot, always in fear of getting caught by the police and having my car impounded. You taught me how to take corners with the immense amount of body roll you had, and how your tires skipped in turns when going over rough roads. You provided privacy when I wanted to talk privately on the phone, or even on my escapades with girlfriends. You aided me when my grandparents died. You took me anywhere I wanted to go. For the first year I owned you, I drove 100 miles a day with you. You took me all around Florida, wherever I wanted. Freshman year of college when my friends wanted to visit friends at another university, I sceamed "I'll drive!" as I knew you wouldn't let us down. 12 years later I was still getting 30 mpg with you. I treated you like a queen when we were together and in turn, you NEVER let me down. You started up every single fucking time I turned the ignition key over, and you never shit out on me while on the highway, or any road for that matter. I put 61,000 miles on you in 2 years and 2 months. You weren't anything special, but you were my car. Nobody could tell me not to go out and drive you, and nobody could take you away from me. I replaced your headlights, tinted your windows, made you as close to a stock 2005 Hyundai Elantra as you could be. I will ALWAYS remember you and hope to someday own you again and keep you garaged with my other exotic cars.I am fucking devastated.Her in all of her glory: http://ift.tt/2tNxMze you.edit;edit via /r/cars http://ift.tt/2uLtkhG