Apr
5
we are now without wheels
Filed Under saba
We gave up our transportation today. Those who have visited may have fond memories of our 1995 Daihatsu Cuore. Cuore, you ask? Oh yeah, it’s not one of those cars you’d find in the U.S. as an accident with a bicycle would leave the driver of the CAR in really bad shape! Fortunately we rarely go over 20 mph on this island and since there really isn’t any cross-traffic, the risk of getting “T-boned” is quite minimal. The only thing I can think of that would do similar damage would be a boulder rolling down the mountain and smashing the side of the car . . . another incident that would most likely render the driver of the car . . . well . . . dead!
We had anticipated making contact sometime today with the buyer of our car as today was the day we told her we would be able to part with it. However, on the first of April, we realized our Saba phone had been disconnected. We called the phone company with our Vonage phone (as they hadn’t cut off the internet) and they explained that all the students leaving the island for good have their phones cut off so there isn’t an outstanding bill after they leave. I understand the reasoning, but it would have been nice to have a little warning. So, since our phone was disconnected, I had to track down contact our buyer in person. I remember her telling me she worked at a certain restaurant. I dropped by the restaurant, but they had a hand written sign in the window that said, “Closed for lunch.” This is something that is commonly done on Saba. If they don’t feel like opening up . . . they don’t. I then recalled she said she lived in The Bottom in a certain area. I parked the car and started walking around the neighborhood. I saw a woman, and asked her if she knew where my buyer lived. She told me where I could find this person and I found my buyer. She asked me, “How did you know where I lived?”
I kind of chuckled and said, “Did you forget what island we’re on?”
She got the cash, and I handed her the key. Done deal!
Now, I had a bit of a dilemma. I was in The Bottom and had to get to Lower Hells Gate . . . WITH NO CAR! I wasn’t really in the mood for the 1.5 hour hike to get home so . . . I started hitchhiking. Yup, no less than 30 seconds after my thumb first flew I was standing in the back of a pickup truck with a couple Rasta guys. That’s the way people ride in trucks around here . . . standing . . . in the back.
I think I’ll get along alright without the car, but I do feel bad for Emily. I’ve got the bus to take me to school and back when I need to go, but she’s got to rely on hitchhiking (with a toddler and pregnant belly) or her friends to get her out of the house. Independence is certainly a wonderful thing . . . but I’d consider letting it slide a bit to keep my view indefinitely.
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I’m not surprised at all that you managed to get a hold of your buyer so easily. I’ll never forget how the people at My Store once called me on my cell phone after I’d picked up the wrong box of groceries. I guess I will never know exactly how they found out who I was and how to reach me, but it’s very representative of how things work on Saba.
I wish I could offer to take Emily out if she needed to go anywhere, but unfortunately I’ll have my parents visit this week and we’ll be going to St. Maarten for a quick trip. We’ll be back the day before you guys leave, but if we don’t see you around.. good luck with everything!