by Kathy Bosman
Buggy’s Adventures in Motoland III
The Motor Trade
Copyright 2013 Kathleen Bosman
****
Chapter One
“You’ve got to come, Buggy,” a young lady said as she shoved an envelope into Buggy’s passenger seat ashtray. “Tina and Harvey want you to be the Master of Ceremonies.”
“The what? Who are you?” Buggy flicked his lights at her.
“My name is Evity Long. I work in Motoland part-time. I’m the messenger for Motoland, the land where cars talk and drive themselves.” The girl flicked her long brown fringe off her forehead.
“Really? Pleased to meet you.” He moved his mirror towards her carefully so no one else would see that he could move. “Are you the person who put the newspaper clipping in my exhaust pipe last year?”
“You remember? Look, I’ve got to run. I’ve several other errands before I have to study for my exams.”
She ran off, her black long pants rustling and her brown ponytail bobbing up and down behind her.
“But what is a Master of Ceremonies…?” She didn’t hear his mumble. He wished he could read the letter right now. He would have to wait until he was in a quiet garage with no one around.
Hours later, when Mrs. Scrag, the elderly lady who owned him, had parked him in the garage and gone inside to cook supper, he used his mirror hand to stretch into the ashtray. He couldn’t reach. He stretched and stretched with both hands but couldn’t reach it.
“Oh no, I’ve got to get it before Mrs. Scrag sees it.” Buggy moaned. “Why did she put it there?”
His lights flickered off in disappointment. He would have to wait longer to read the important letter.
It had been several months since Buggy last saw his friends in Motoland and he missed them terribly. He hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye to them because Bigwheel chased him out of Motoland. Just when he was feeling so sad, Evity had dropped off the newspaper clipping in his exhaust pipe which reported how Bigwheel was put in jail and how the mayor had a job for him as well as his own garage so he wouldn’t have to pay rent anymore.
All he could think about the last few months was how to get back to Motoland.
Another down in the dumps event was the next day he was to be taken to the mechanic for a service. He hated any procedures and services took so long. He prayed that there wouldn’t be any serious problems with his engine.
The next morning, Buggy was awake early, his carburetor already shaking from the stress. What was the mechanic going to do?
Mrs. Scrag walked into the garage, jingling the keys. “Come Buggy, Mr. Pulator is waiting for us.” She patted him affectionately on his dashboard before she climbed in and started his engine. She was still very fond of him even though he wasn’t brand new anymore.
“Mr Pulator is great. He’s fast, neat and affordable. So, you’re going to come out sounding and working like new, Buggy.” Mrs. Scrag drove out the yard and into the road.
The drive was short and her words calmed him some. When they reached the mechanic, the smell of motor oil, engine parts, and cleaners wafted into his air filters and he almost sneezed.
Mr. Pulator, a tall, thin man with salt and pepper hair came up to Mrs. Scrag and shook her hand. He spoke with a smooth, silky voice.
“He should be ready for collection by Friday. Bye, Mrs. Scrag.” He rushed off to the next customer.
“Bye, Buggy. I’ll see you on Friday.” Mrs. Scrag seemed reluctant to go and Buggy flashed his lights quickly in response. She didn’t notice because she’d already turned around and walked away.
Buggy sighed quietly. Friday, I can’t wait for you.
The first day, the beetle car waited while Mr. Pulator finished off some tasks. He did nothing to him and the time went so slowly.
The next day his mechanics worked on Buggy’s engine from first thing in the morning. He felt like he was being pulled to pieces from all angles.
But the work went faster than he’d expected. After a lovely, soothing wash, they parked him in a double garage next to a rally car as the sun started to go down. Unable to keep his lights open, he slept deeply until about five in the morning when he opened his lights slowly, adjusting to the gentle rays of dawn peeping in from the cracks in the big sliding doors. He peered at the car next to him and woke up abruptly. Recognition flooded his mind.
“Hello. Excuse me. Are you Mr. Benson’s rally car?”
The rally car grunted. “I was wondering when you would notice me. You must have had a rough day yesterday.”
“At least the MC in Motoland has soft carpets to rest on after a procedure.” Buggy’s wheels relished the soft feel.
“So, did you get to Motoland through the park entrance I showed you?” asked the rally car.
“Yes. I had a great time and I want to go again. I’ve just thought of something. Please will you check in my back ashtray for an envelope. It’s just out of my reach.”
The rally car drove up close to Buggy and stretched into his back window.
“There’s nothing there.”
“Oh, no,” cried Buggy. “What’s Mrs. Scrag going to think if she finds it and reads it? Now I’ll never know what it said.”
“What was it?” The rally car stood still, his bodywork shiny and clean. He probably was also like new from his service.
“An envelope from Tina and Harvey in Motoland.” Buggy and the rally car Speed, who finally told him his name, talked until the workshop opened. Buggy relayed his adventure in Motoland and Speed described his races with Mr. Benson. Although disappointed to not have the envelope, Buggy was in a much better mood after chatting to a fellow Motoland visitor.
***
The mood didn’t last. Buggy found out they weren’t finished with him. After the mechanics worked on his CV joints, wheel alignment, and tire pressure, Mr. Pulator fine-tuned him while the other mechanics noisily packed their bags and left for home.
“So, you’re a talking car, hey? I heard there was such a thing from my niece but she was only nine so I didn’t believe her,” Mr. Pulator said.
Buggy jerked and coughed. He didn’t know whether to answer the man. How did he know?
“It’s okay, you can talk to me. I’m a friend. Call me Mannie. I heard you and the rally car talking this morning.”
Buggy felt the man’s hand upon his dashboard, warm and welcoming. He had done a good job with the service so he should be trustworthy. He couldn’t keep quiet. Anytime someone talked about Motoland, he just wanted to chat and chat. Even though the rule was no talking to humans.
“I’m not really supposed to talk to humans outside of Motoland.”
Mannie patted him gently. “Why ever not?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a rule.”
“So tell me about this Motoland. How can I go there?”
Buggy’s radiator puffed out air. Humans mustn’t go into Motoland. Although Motoland had humans in there, they were more like machines. A human from the human world wouldn’t fit in well.
“Why would you want to go there? It’s not a nice place for humans.”
“I’m really curious.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have spoken to the man but he just seemed so nice.
“I found this envelope in your ashtray.” Mannie unfolded the paper with a crinkle. “It says: ‘Dear Buggy, you are invited to join us in celebrating our wedding on Saturday, 11 July at 10h00. We would love you to be our Master of Ceremonies at the Reception held on Whizzler’s farm. Much love, Tina and Harvey.’ So are you going?”
“Well, it depends on what Mrs. Scrag is doing,” said Buggy, suddenly not wishi
ng to talk to this man about private Motoland stuff.
“Take me with you.”
Buggy lights popped wide open and round. “You can’t be serious? What do you want to do there?”
“Well, as a mechanic, I need to keep on learning new things about cars. I think I can learn much from being with talking cars.”
He had a point, but still, it didn’t feel right.
“I can also help the cars there.”
Buggy liked that idea but didn’t say anything. How awful was it when Whizzler and some of the other cars became sick the last time he was there? If there was a good mechanic in Motoland, the cars would be ultra-healthy.
“I’ll tell you what.” Mannie had a smile in his voice. “If you take me to Motoland, I will give you half of the money I make there.”
Buggy’s mind raced as he thought of all the good things he could do with some Mobeels. He could do up his garage like Pelly’s or Tina’s. Or he could save up to start his own business. He would love to run a bookshop and stationary shop or a stunt park. He had already been thinking about it for months. It would be nice to be independent and work for himself instead of following what a boss wanted all the time.
“Okay, if I get to go,” he said quietly, his tires shuddering slightly. Could he trust the man and should he have spoken to a human? Surely there couldn’t be anything wrong though. What harm could he do anyway? No, his feelings of unease were ridiculous and should be ignored. He was way too concerned about rules. Breaking them sometimes helped. He’d learned that. And he really could do with some extra Mobeels.
Chapter Two
“Wayne’s moved to Australia. He’s marrying next month and he wants me to meet him there. I’m using some of my savings to fly over,” Mrs. Scrag said to someone on her new cell phone the next day in the garden.
“She must be speaking to Mr. Scrag at the farm,” thought Buggy. “Now’s my perfect opportunity to go to Tina and Harvey’s wedding.”
He began to plan his trip to Motoland. Mrs. Scrag wouldn’t miss him. Oh, how he couldn’t wait to see his friends again.
Surprisingly, the month of June sped by like a formula one car for Buggy, even though every day the excitement was building up so intensely. On the day to leave for the airport, Mrs. Scrag left Buggy parked in her garage and caught a lift with a friend. Buggy already knew how he would get out to Motoland through the park. Mrs. Scrag had conveniently left her old cell phone in his cubbyhole. It had Mannie’s number on it. Buggy dialed the number with a little difficulty.
“Mannie speaking.” The man’s clear, smooth voice could be heard through the phone.
“Hello, it’s Buggy.” His spark plugs pinged with excitement.
“Oh, my friend Buggy, the talking car. What can I do for you?”
“Mrs. Scrag has gone away. I’m going to Motoland but she’s locked me in her garage. Could you get me out and then I will take you to Motoland?”
“Of course. I’ll be there this afternoon.”
It was Buggy’s fastest and smoothest journey into Motoland. By three o’clock, he was driving with Mannie in his passenger seat to Tina’s garage, his windscreen wipers moving frantically as the excitement washed over him in waves at the thought of seeing his friends again. He drove into Tina’s driveway, tooting again and again at her gate. There was no answer. Disappointed, he drove across town to Pelly’s garage.
“Pelly, Pelly, are you there?” He shouted outside her gate. Mannie just sat in the seat and watched the cars driving themselves all over, an odd smile on his face. Maybe he was as fascinated as Buggy had been when he first drove into Motoland.
After some time, a very flustered Pelly opened the gate. “Buggy!” her lights lit up with surprise. “You made it in time! Come in. I am hectically busy preparing all the eats for Tina and Harvey’s wedding. And the cake, that’s another story.”
Once inside, Mannie climbed out of Buggy.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend, Buggy?” he asked, laughing.
“Sorry, Pelly, this is Mannie, a friend from the human world. He helped me to get to Motoland in time.”
“Hi, pleased to meet you.” Pelly held out her mirror to shake his hand. “I would offer you some oil-cakes but I have an appointment at Harluc with Harvey in ten minutes.” Harluc was the new petrol manufacturing plant that produced the clean petrol that Harvey had concocted for Motoland.
“I’ll come with you.” Buggy wanted to see Harvey and Luca and find out how the plant was going.
“I’m going to explore the city,” Mannie said.
“Where will you stay tonight because I don’t know where I’m staying?” Buggy lifted up his mirror to halt him from leaving just yet.
“I’ll meet you somewhere.”
“Okay, I’ll come here at eight o’ clock. Hopefully we’ll be sorted out by then.” Buggy wondered if it was wise to leave the man on his own, but what harm could he do?
After a wonderful afternoon visiting his friends, Buggy was on his way to his new home. Harvey had arranged for Tony from the mayor’s office to escort Buggy to his new garage. On the way, Buggy met Mannie outside Pelly’s.
He drove Mannie to his garage and drove around his new space. He loved the fresh paintwork, smooth, shiny floors and soft, fluffy mat to rest on. “It’s lovely and spacious but we only have a carpet and fridge,” said Buggy to Mannie. “Where are you going to sleep? I know you humans are used to sleeping on beds.”
“Well, in the human world we are. The humans here seem like robots.”
“Robots?” Buggy wasn’t familiar with that word.
“They’re machines without brains.”
“Brains?”
Mannie laughed at Buggy’s crinkled bonnet. It was a mocking laugh. The man had no understanding. Buggy didn’t know everything about humans just as he didn’t know everything about c …. Mind you, being a mechanic, he probably did. But not about Motoland and its magic.
He decided Mannie could sort out his own sleeping arrangements. He was tired from all the excitement.
Mannie had packed a suitcase of clothes so he lay on the carpet next to Buggy on a jacket.
The next morning, Buggy prepared breakfast in silence, remembering how Pelly made her petrol sandwiches. He didn’t feel like talking to Mannie.
“Oh come on, Beetle car. Don’t you want to be my business partner?” Mannie came up to him and pulled a disgusted face at the food.
“What business are you going to run here? You can’t survive here. You don’t eat the food and there isn’t a home for you.”
“I’m leaving today to fetch some belongings from my home. Can I bring them here and use your spare room?”
“I don’t know.” Buggy yawned. It was too early in the morning to think of hard decisions like this. He was so looking forward to having his own garage with his own space. Now, this human was intruding upon it.
“I promise you, you can benefit from our relationship.”
“I’ll think about it.” Buggy ate his breakfast and rushed off to Tina’s without saying anything more to Mannie. He had seen her briefly the day before but she was in such a rush. She had arranged to see him today.
“We’ve bought a plot of land off Barrier Avenue opposite the police station,” Tina said, her lights sparkling with joy. Buggy had never seen her so contented. “We’re going to have our garage there and I will have a large space to develop a wonderful nursery.”
“So what’s happening to your nursery in Scenic Drive?”
“I’m selling it.”
Buggy went quiet and dropped his lights to the ground.
“What are you thinking, Buggy?”
“I want to open a stationery shop. I’ve been dreaming about having my own business and I love stationery. Whenever Mrs. Scrag parks outside the stationery shop, I study everything displayed in the window—the pens and pencils, paints, fancy papers and all the amazing machines that do all sorts of things like clump papers together or cover them with
plastic. I just thought…” Buggy didn’t want to pressure Tina so he didn’t say more.
Tina smiled. “I know what you’re thinking. I could offer for you to pay off the property slowly. But I need a commitment as we need the Mobeels to develop our new nursery. I was counting on the money from the sale.”
“I’m going to the mayor’s office today to see what my job is. Then I can let you know if I can do this.”
Tina patted him with her mirror and they chatted about the last few months apart.
Lastly, they discussed the wedding plans and what Buggy’s task as Master of Ceremonies would entail.
Chapter Three
Tina drove down the little road she had prepared for the wedding ceremony, all her friends watching in anticipation as she came towards Harvey. The road was laid with cobblestones, surrounded on both sides by pink and purple roses and white daisies. Buggy had never seen her so beautiful. Her roof and bonnet were covered in white flowers, and lace hung out her windows. A big, white satin bow adorned the top of her roof. He and Harvey’s friends and family were parked around the road, hushed, watching the couple in awe. Harvey’s black leather and silver metalwork shone. He looked so proud and strong. Whizzler led them to exchange vows and mirror rings and they prayed for their marriage.
Soon, everyone was relaxed as the ceremony ended and they headed towards the Reception area.
Pelly had prepared a glorious spread for the Reception. Everyone tucked in, Tina and Harvey included. Buggy enjoyed cracking jokes about the couple as he led the speeches but couldn’t help praising his wonderful friends as he spoke. They were the best thing that had happened to him in Motoland. Even Curvy was there and looked fresh and pretty, with her new floral seat covers. Buggy had actually missed her. For a few hours, he forgot about the dread that kept on bugging him when he thought of Mannie living in his garage.
At the end of the day, an exhausted Tina and Harvey drove off to their new garage with rattling tin cans attached to their bumpers while cars on the road hooted at the newly married couple. It was there and then that Buggy decided he wanted to live in Motoland forever and have his own family. But he didn’t think that would ever be possible.
The next day, Buggy felt down. The wedding was over, his friends were on honeymoon, and he was very disappointed to have found out what his new salary was. The monthly amount was definitely not going to be enough to pay Tina her first installment for the old nursery on Scenic Drive, and he had already told her he would buy it. He shouldn’t have promised something so important before he was sure but he’d remembered Mannie’s promise to pay him. That should cover it for the next few months.