People in our town would pull up with frowns and pull out with a clean car and a smile. Seeing them smile made me feel a genuine sense of happiness and accomplishment. We spent all day in the sun with the radio turned all the way up. To me it seems like "Just What I Needed" By The Cars was the only song that was ever playing. Whenever I hear that song it brings me back to those long, hot, summer days full of laughter and hosing down cars with the guys.
We probably should have been trying to score with the girls but with a nickname like "The Clean Teens" none of them wanted to talk to us. It was cool though we had other stuff to do like go to the auto zone and pick up new soaps and scrub brushes for our annual car wash. Another funny thing is that it was always called the Annual Car Wash even though it lasted the whole length of the summer.
Hahaha.
We sure used to have us a good laugh about that. "First annual, second annual how many more would there be?
We made it all the way to the fourth annual when tragedy struck. Bill and Brad got dropped off by Bryan's Mom at the usual gas station. But Todd and Tim were getting a ride from Todd's Grandpa who has a hard time driving as it is but things got worse when he had a hard attack and swerved into oncoming traffic. They were hit head on Killing Todd and His Grandpa and sending Tim to the Hospital for the rest of his life. I suppose it was the saddest day of my life. It ended our annual car wash business for good and slowly we went our separate ways.
Bill and Brad moved to Denver and cooked up a really great recipe for Green Chili that they ended up selling to a chain restaurant. Bryan moved to Ohio with a girl he fell in love with. I stayed here and opened my own gas station called "The Cleaning Station" and guess what? It has a car wash.
Every couple of months I go to visit Tim at the Hospital. He's in a vegetative state but I still talk to him. I tell him about the other guys and how things are going for me. I hope he can hear me. It breaks my heart to see my friend this way. He was so strong and it was all taken away for no reason.
Pulling out of the hospital parking lot I turn on the radio to take my mind off things. But it's no use. I'm about halfway home driving the old Lot we used to hold our annual car wash at. When Suddenly "Just what I Needed" starts to play and it gets me. I turn onto my street as the song finishes and slowly, silently I begin to cry.
When I get out of the car I stare up at the moon and stars. Closing my sad eyes I can remember the last time we were all together at the carwash for the last time. I see all of us laughing after Tim and Todd poured a whole bucket of suds on Brad's sister Stacy.
A broad smile seems to banish all feelings of sorrow. As if there is nothing else but the memories of better times. I have to hold onto them.
Because it is the best days that make the worst days tolerable. Before going inside I speak out loud to Todd hoping that he can hear me. I tell him how much I miss him and how I hope his grandpa is doing alright up there. I wait a little while hoping for a response.
I'm about to call it a night and as I open the door I hear it. Very softly as if floating on the easy wind I hear it. Almost a faint whisper that most people would miss. It's Todds voice "Clean Teens...Forever."
