The time my 20-year-old Vitz cost 300,000 yen for inspection. I ended up playing 'Red Light, Green Light' with the mechanic

Th-th-three hundred thousand yen is what it is.
My Vitz's inspection is 300,000 yen...
I nearly stopped breathing when I saw the estimate.

Well, I have been driving it for nearly 20 years.
The tires are looking pretty bald, too.
I don't know much about cars, but is this really the price for an inspection?
Couldn't I buy a new car for this much? Like a tuk-tuk or something?

But I don't think the dealership is ripping me off.

After all, I'm a 'no-prospect customer,' so I don't have an eager salesperson assigned to me.
The person who handled my inspection check-in was a very sincere-looking mechanic.

That day, I brought my car to the dealership and was waiting leisurely for the inspection estimate while drinking coffee at a lounge table.

After a while, I saw the mechanic approaching the table.
But, he stopped some distance away and was looking at me.

I glanced down at my coffee for a second, and when I looked back up, he had moved a little closer. His pose was slightly different, too.

A game of 'Red Light, Green Light' had started in the lounge.

What, what? What is going on?
I don't really get it, but I decide to call out to him.

“Is something wrong?”

“No...”

He has a troubled look on his face for some reason.

“It’s about the estimate, right? Please, come over here and have a seat.”

I’m acting like I’m the one who works at the dealership.

The mechanic trots over.
And then, just when I thought he was going to sit across from me at the table, he stood right next to me.
A feint here? Is that a rule at this dealership?
I feel a bit uneasy.

“Please, have a seat. So, how much is it going to be?”

But the mechanic doesn't move.
He is as immovable as a mountain. His resolve is terrifying.
Even though I only asked, he’s trying to tell me something with his teary eyes.

Could it be that I asked something wrong? If so, I’m sorry.

After a brief silence, he opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“Well, you see. The tires needed replacing. And also, the ch... chassis is b... bent, so for safety... it needs repairs... And the m... muffler is...”

I don't really know what a chassis is, but is it like a human spine?

“Um, so about how much will that be?”

“The tires, only one of them seems usable. Also, once the wheels are removed, it feels like they won't go back on.”

He just won't get to the point.

“So, roughly, how much are we talking?”

The mechanic’s face was already caught between crying and laughing. Sorry.

“Well, it’s… th-th-three hundred thousand yen…”

I was so surprised, I couldn't help but ask again.

“Huh? Th-th-three hundred thousand yen…?”

My face was caught between crying and laughing too.

And so, clutching the estimate, I returned home in a daze.

This isn't just a vehicle inspection anymore, is it?
I went in for a casual “health checkup” and ended up being forced to choose between “life support” or “euthanasia.”

When they tell me the frame is bent, I actually start to feel like it is.
There was a weird sound whenever I turned the steering wheel.
The muffler was also vibrating with incredible intensity, and I could hear a strange noise whenever I stopped at a traffic light.

Memories of the time I spent with my Vitz come flooding back.

Going to the local supermarket to pick up groceries
Going to the local government office to renew my My Number card
Going to the local hardware store to buy a fluorescent light bulb

That’s just running errands!! Is this a dog walk?

The resolution of my memories is bizarrely low.

There was a time I forgot to close the windows on a day with heavy rain and left it outside.
The next day,when I tried to get in, the door pocket was overflowing with water.
The seat was like a sponge that had soaked up water, and when I sat down, my pants got soaked.
When I opened theglove box on the dashboard, the whole box came off.

But it’s still running energetically.

It can run faster than me, and it can carry heavier things than me.

Life support is the only option. It’s more impressive than I am.

It wouldn't even have a price on the used car market.
But in my heart, it has value.

I imagine what it will be like when this thing can no longer move.
For some reason, I’m carrying a giant rope on my shoulder, pulling the Vitz along.

“Just let me go,” the Vitz says.

I don’t answer.

🔶"Vitz" series