ohheyian

It was an old van
purchased by our hero in an old kind of way
cash, from a shady back alley
the listing was on some website
one you’ve heard of, but can’t quite place
the man was nice enough
“Good van, runs sometimes. Nothing funny.”
he said, with the look of someone who wouldn’t know funny
if it performed stand-up in front of him
our hero was transfixed
“It is a present waiting to be unwrapped,”
he said, thinking of Christmas
“It was wrapped once”, said the other man
“but it was forgotten, and sat behind a house for a few years.”
“I won’t forget it. I shall live in it.”
“Oh,” said the man. “that’s… oh.”
our hero paid for the van, was able to register it
and brought it to his motel where it would not start again.
“A treasure,” he thought
over the next few days he made improvements to the van.
an updated curtain for the living space
rust colored to match the exterior
a mattress and some pillows for the rear, or “the studio.”
a camping stove for hot breakfasts and fine dinners
the first time our hero slept in the van, he thought it was the beginning of the rest of his life
“This is it,” he whispered in the dark
listening to the sound of the traffic in the Walmart parking lot
“It certainly is,” the van whispered back
our hero thought he must have been imagining things
excitement over the future
“I’m doing it, really” he said out loud again
“We’re doing it” the van whispered back
right into our his ear
“Who said that?” our hero was concerned, but optimistic that if the van was speaking, it was more good luck
“I’m so excited to have you inside me. I have a lot to tell you.”
the next day he sold the van in the same Walmart parking lot
“Good van, runs sometimes. Nothing funny.”