Ry Junior, my 2003 Toyota Rav4, gave me his all yesterday. Down to his last gear, unable to accelerate past ten mph and screaming like a freight train, he put-putted me into my work parking lot. He was definitely the little engine that could, faithfully putting his metal heart and soul into that last mile and sighing with relief and satisfaction at a job well done when I turned the key left for the last time. Well done, Faithful Steed. Well done.
Ry Jr. came to live with us in 2003 with 62 miles on his treads. He moved in when his older brother, Ry the Silver Rav, moved out. While Ry was front wheel drive, Ry Jr. was a brave and energetic all wheel drive, eager to meet my family’s needs. He loved frolicking in the snow, driving fast on the highway, and exploring new parking places all over the country. Although not quite tardis technology like his friend the red SMART car, he had easily removed back seats and plenty of room to accommodate for my shopping sprees and road trips.
Ry Jr. accompanied me on three cross-country road trips. He’s been to 47 states and Canada, though Massachusetts was always his favorite. While he never fulfilled his life-long dream of driving to Alaska, he put in 210,889 miles and earned his rest. Now it’s time for someone else to drive him around for a while.
Ry Jr.’s health began to fail when his muffler rusted through and fell off. He dragged it to Midas who soldered it back on and warned that the end might be in sight. Two years ago, after a fairly expensive fix, the mechanic sadly shook his head and said that this would be the last feasible fix. He promised his mcgyvering would get us through the summer and maybe through the fall. Shortly after that, Ry Jr. lost fifth gear somewhere down in North Carolina. But he kept on running through that summer and fall, and the next summer and the next fall. Until yesterday, when he gave up three more gears to get me safely to work.
Ry Jr. leaves behind in his parking lot the red SMART car and a PT cruiser, neither of which have the same heart, good looks, or ability to drive in the snow. He also leaves behind a mournful operator who will always remember the cute car that always got her where she needed to be.
Thank you, Ry Jr. We had some bumps and bruises, but I’ll readily admit that they were all due to operator errors. Even at the very end, you always got me from a to b. You were loved and you will be missed.
