Cutlass - Ed Makowski

In the classifieds.

too good to be true

but was:

1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass

2 door. 69,000 miles.

Bought new by my

mother-in-law. 350 Rocket.

Runs good. No rust.

$1,200 obo

Called my uncle-

the kind of guy

who used to

wrench his own

cars and motorcycles,

but now had a TV

next to the Keg-o-Rater

in his garage.

I'd been learning

on our Ford mini-van

and had 2 grand saved

from dishwashing.

During the test-drive

my uncle uncle bemoaned

Oldsmobile's 1969 Cutlass.

The brakes, the gas mileage,

the tires, rear wheel drive,

rear wheel drive in winter,

poor oil filter placement, his

Oldsmobile Bravada, American cars,

modern cars, cars as a whole,

buses, the bus that cut him off,

the Blacks taking buses out

to the country by his house, Yeah-

This car and

everything isn't worth it!

A week later I told him

that Cutlass we test-drove

was no longer parked

with a FOR SALE sign

on highway Q.

What Cutlass? he asked

At 15 I didn't realize

when test-driving

he'd been drunk

and depressed

about

the Green Bay Packers

losing the noon game.