Mazda Protege'

To read how I obtained these two cars, please click here.

After the demise of a "lemon car", Honda Prelude, I leased a 1995 Mazda Protege which turned out to be a quite good car. I liked the features, especially that the radio/clock part could be un-installed with just a click of a button, and the wheel lock.

Unfortunately, I had that car for only two years.

On New Year's eve of 1996, I attended a friend's party. After all the shouting, hugging, and wishing each other greetings at midnight, a friend asked what my resolution was.

I replied I wasn't making a resolution but stating something this time: I will be engaged by this year.

My friend laughed. He replied, "You can't wish something like that on New Years' Eve!"

I shrugged and still maintained my statement.

Then I eventually forgot about it.

On New Year's Day, I bought my very first computer. Excited at this new "toy", for days and months, I would be glued to the screen for hours, laughing and chatting in the chat rooms.

Yet, I was still careful not to invite any loony bins or wackos to my IM chats. I merely ignored those who tried to talk to me.

My sister then visited during spring time from Peace Corps in Africa. Right before she returned, she joked to me, "Hey... don't go and get married without me!"

Although I knew she was just teasing, I suddenly felt this strong premonition that I would meet someone soon.

Two months later, I was chatting with someone that I knew when a strange IM suddenly popped up.

My first instinct was to immediately ignore it when I had this feeling telling me that I should talk to this person.

And one thing led to another.... then we became engaged.

He was a charming man, seeming to have a lot to offer. He was such a gentleman, taking me out to romantic dates, giving me gifts including jewelry.

He seemed to be well -off with his job, obviously being able to afford two cars, which one of them was a black sportscar.

Few months after the engagement, he casually asked if he could trade my Mazda Protege' for a SUV. At first I flatly refused.

After days of cajoling and making promises to me, I finally gave in.

Unfortunately, we were not able to purchase a SUV but leased it instead. We got a 1997 Jimmy GMC.

But the new SUV lasted only a year.

When we broke up, due to various reasons, he promised to continue the two-more year lease payments on the SUV while I borrowed his older car.

To my shock and disappointment few months later, I found out that he had reneged on the payments while still using my SUV. Thus, I was forced to call the police to repossess it.

Of course, he took back his car.

I now did not have any car.

So, my mother sold me her car, a 1992 Nissan Sentra. She went and bought a new one.

Motto: Be careful what you consciously wish for!