Meeting By Accident

 So Monday I dealt with our classic First World problem -- the broken refrigerator. I looked it up -- we bought it in January of '07, and saw that 14 years is about an average lifespan for these things. Funny, though, the thing was about $5K then -- replacement "built in" ones are now double that -- and, you can't GET them for 6 months.

So I went on Home Depot.com and bought an interim refrigerator -- hopefully to be delivered Saturday. We'll see. In the mean time, we're using the primitive, simple fridge in the garage -- probably living the way my great grandparents did back in the schtetl when they only had refrigerators in their garages...

Anyway -- got a call from Norman -- his S2 Michael and he were having breakfast at LOL -- would I like to join them? Of course I would, and drove over there and saw a spot. I thought -- hey -- I'll go to the part of the lot where the spaces are big, but then my desire for the bagel got the better of me, and I pulled in next to a nice Kia sedan. I heard a crunch. Damn -- I hit the car.

The Kia was within the space, but parked at an angle, and as I reconstructed my crash, realized I thought I had the room to pull in. I was wrong. I parked a few spots over, and took out one of my cards -- and wrote "Sorry -- please call me and I'll pay damages." The car had a UM tag and a disabled placard hanging from the mirror.

I then had a great time with Norman and Michael -- even with the looming knowledge that it would be a costly morning. But I recalled the sage words of Norman's wonderful father Max -- turning 94 next week, and still, thankfully, sharp as a tack: "A problem that can be solved with money is not really a problem."

I left, and drove to a body shop next to my gym. The fellow took pix and told me he'd call. And then I went to a body shop a block away where I had had Wifey's cars repaired several times over the years -- she used to make a habit of these things, and thankfully has been more careful lately -- certainly more careful than I was.

That body shop was owned by a fellow whose son, he proudly said, was off the NYU this week -- to study Art. The young man had graduated New World School -- the top magnet school in the state. He showed me some of his work -- in the back office. It was stunning -- bright colors, and a lot of Covid themes. I wished him well.

That estimate was for $850 for my bumper. The first one came later -- just under $1K. I'll be leaving the girlie Lexus at the artist shop next week.

Meanwhile -- no word from my victim -- until the evening. I got a call from a lady with an educated Southern accent -- named Wescott. She was delightful. She said the fact that I left my information meant the world to her -- she was, like most of us, losing faith in humanity, and my act reversed that loss. I was humbled -- I just did the right thing, after all.

Well -- we spoke -- for over an hour. She's a Tar Heel grad, but Canes fan for 40 years -- moved here to be close to her father, who was a UM Med professor. She lives in the Redland, and just sold her house to move to a condo in Satellite Beach. I looked her up on FaceBook -- attractive lady, probably about 70 or so. No mention of a husband or kids.

Anyway -- we had some friends in common, including a well known divorce lawyer in the Grove, who was infamous for sleeping with his clients back in the day. The fellow never married, and my new friend said he was therefore "The Only Cuban man in Miami who never cheated on his wife."

I love political incorrectness. We got each other right away.

She took her car to the Kia dealership, and the estimate was just under $1100. I already cut the check and am popping it into the mail today. Wescott and I are new FaceBook (tm) friends. I'm sorry she has the inconvenience of leaving her car in the shop, but she said she had lots of time. Sort of like me.

Anyway -- into each life, some fender benders must fall, I guess. Don Corleone said that women and children could be careless -- men couldn't afford to be careless. Well, I was, and am paying for it. And that's ok. Max is, as usual, correct.