Magic of Intention

Bob Chub was having a bad day. Hell, it had been a bad week, month, well, not year, just the past few months. He could pinpoint the exact moment his life had gone off the rails, it was just after he had filled his gas tank, and had been distracted at just how much fucking money it took these days. In his disgust at how much he had to fork over to the cashier in his bullet-proof box, he had neglected to take the cap off the running board and replace it on the gas tank. Arriving home, he was dismayed to find it missing, and things just went downhill from there.

Over the next few weeks, he burned up all that expensive gas in the tank tracing and retracing his route from the station to his driveway, but never seeing the missing cap. He was grumpy to his loving wife, and took to spending evenings moping in a bar after work, having a drink or three. He was late three times to work as a result, and yelled at his wife once in blame, displaced self blame. He got written up, god, a write-up!

Bob had a case of bad attitude. He was transferred to the night crew, and his wife was even a bit relieved, because she didn't have to put up with his shitty attitude as much. He even stopped his traditional weekend car wash, using the excuse that it might get water in the gas. That was a sure sign he was depressed, he had doted on that car, ever since he had gotten it when his grandfather had passed on to his reward.

He had his grandfather had spent many fond times working under the folding steel bonnet together, and Bob had learned all about combustion engines, gears, and pistons. Owning the beast gave Bob a sense of pride, and felt like his grandfather's love to him, even all these years later. His dad had never been around much, so the time spent with his grandfather was mostly the only male role model and bonding he had gotten in life, aside from some casual mentoring from the football coach, who was more interested in winning games than in his 'boys', when it came right down to it.

He was on thin ice at work, and if he didn't show an improvement in his attitude, he was likely to lose his job, that was the way of it, first to night crew, then out the door. Hardly anyone ever got terminated from day crew, because as a first warning, they got shifted.

Bob was tired and irritable as he drove home in the early morning light, he hadn't spoken a kind word to his wife for two months, and he didn't know that she was considering a divorce, not lightly, but only because she couldn't go on like this. Then, a miracle happened.

When Bob got home, he looked at his former pride and joy, thinking his usual dismal thoughts, and Bam!, it hit him. The Gas Cap was Back! Looking a bit smug and slightly embarrassed, as if pretending it had never been anywhere else, his rare, impossible to get for love or money gas cap was back on the gas tank, gleaming brightly in contrast to the now noticeably dingy car.

Bob rushed into his house, and found his wife in her bathrobe and curlers in the kitchen, fuzzy slippers on her feet. He grabbed the startled women, and frightened her by shouting at her, until she processed the words he was saying. "Mary, Mary, you are beautiful, I love you!" he shouted as he spun her in a dizzy circle and kissed her pale lips fiercely. Instinctively she pushed him back, but he ignored this seeming rejection as he pulled on her hand, urging her out the front door, babbling excitedly about a miracle and about his car.

She really tried to resist then, she was not dressed for the out of doors! Still, Bob wouldn't be denied, and she consoled herself with the fiction that it was too dark out to be seen, or too early for anyone to see, and anyway, there was nothing she could do to prevent herself from flying out the door in Bob's wake.

Mary was thrilled to her core as she came to understand her husband's excited chatter- he had driven home from work, not stopping anywhere, and when he got home, his missing gas cap was back! She had goose bumps, it was a big mystery, and seemed to suggest that someone, or something out there cared.

Then Bob made a suggestion she could hardly believe- He was talking about her helping him wash his car! He never let anyone touch his baby, but he was including her in his excitement and pride, for the first time ever, after thirteen years of marriage. Mary had always been just a touch jealous of the beast, mainly because it was private to Bob, and she had been excluded.

Ten minutes later, she was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, with a soapy bucket of water and clean cloths, letting Bob teach her the exacting way he cleaned and polished his baby, using clean fresh cloth surfaces for each area to avoid rubbing grit on the paint and causing micro-scratches. In spite of the early hour, Mary was thrilled to be invited to share this activity with her happy and loving husband, as contrasted to the grumpy jerk she had been just about to divorce.

His boss noticed the new happy attitude, and the renewed respect Bob was showing toward his fancy car, and toward himself as reflected in his more careful grooming and attire- in effect, not coming to work looking like a slob. He was brought back from the exile of night crew, and as his old self, welcomed back into the fold. He even got a raise, just a pat on the back, but it let him know all was forgiven. The Universe was smiling on him once more!