Obituary to Big Red (1991 - June 6, 2013)

Today, at about 6:30 in the afternoon, my mom was driving me back from music lessons. My sister was also in the car. There was a honda civic & it had stopped at a yellow light (you are supposed to slow down at yellow lights, not completely stop). The road was slippery, that is, for Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it was raining quit hard. Big Red suddenly swerved out of control. We had crashed into the other car. Everything just happened so fast. All I remember was my Mom trying to drive our car just trying to steer like crazy into a different lane. Then there was this terrifying loud screeching from the tires. In my head, I thought, it's going to be okay, if Mom survived driving in Panama, then this must be nothing. But as we got closer & closer to the green civic, I realized I was wrong and that things were about to get serious. I honestly did not see any of this coming. Next thing you know, Big Red looked like this:

I could have been severely bruised. I could have been thrown right through the window. I could have died. Any of us could have died. 

Big Red was manufactured/born in about 1991. This was when cars were still being made out of steel, in this case for Big Red, Swedish steel & NOT aluminum. This was when cars were being made the right way. This was when cars were being made in order to protect & NOT to impress. 

Big Red had traveled everywhere with us. She has gone up from England, to Spain, and to Panama. She has driven us everywhere. I sometimes feel ashamed for being embarrassed about having a super old car while my other friend's families had super luxurious BMWs that were manufactured just a couple of months ago. 

Big Red was supposed to be my car. I was supposed to be the one that could drive her everywhere. I was supposed be the one to decorate her with bumper stickers! But now it is not going to happen.

My parents are still thinking about whether to sell Big Red for scrap metal or to just fix her for about twice her worth. I hope they fix her instead of throw her away. Big Red is a part of our family, we can't just throw her away just like that. So this is what Big Red gets for saving our lives?
I am just very grateful today for Big Red saving all of us. I am also angry at the other person that crashed into us for acting all chill about what just happened. HELLO, it's not everyday that you crash into a 22-year old Volvo! I want to sue him! I want to sue the road for being all slippery!
Thank you Big Red. Big Red, whether you will continue to be with us or not, I hope you know that we will be forever grateful for saving our lives.