Image source: Honest John
I really wished I had a picture of my dad's car, taking pictures has always been an issue in our family..... i just don't still get why we don't like taking pictures.
Back to the real story, my dad's first true love......her name was renault 18, she was a grey in colour classic french beauty in my dad's eyes despite the fact she was just a car and got my dad's attention. They met in the early 80's somewhere in Nigeria, she was all my dad wanted she was affordable, It was fuel efficient as she was 1.1litre petrol engine. It was a love at first sight affair, they felt they were too compatible and without wasting time my Dad won her heart (bought her). The next day she was the talk of the town and as my dad took her for a city display, renault 18 had never felt that kind of love before she overwhelmed. My dad's human girlfriends got jealous and furious that they had gotten not just a rival but a mechanical one for that matter. So days went by, months passed by and years rolled by as their love waxed stronger and stronger, taking care of each of each other even despite the fact my dad was carrying his girlfriends with her. She was never bothered.
Sometimes later I was born and hey! Not by Renault 18.....lol we didn't know each other till I was five when she and my dad was always taking me to school and bringing me back, going out for a party or traveling. I and renault 18 were not best of friends, I found her ugly, unpleasant because I felt they were much finer and better cars out there while she found me uninteresting and irritating..... Lol.
Growing up I watched my dad take care of her, washing her with gentle touches and clean her till she glittered. She was my dad's everything. So it got to a stage my dad called me and said it was time to be man and take up responsibilities and that as from hence forth washing of renault 18 was my daily duty. I was furious, renault 18 was mad. And so I started my dad always inspected and complained of I doing rubbish, so did she too complain.
Later years went on as I washed her, she took the family to church, parties, picnics, dad to work, children to school. All of a sudden she started acting up from fixing of engine, panel beating of her, changing brakes constantly. She was becoming old and a burden to my dad. The signs were glaring their love was fading....with dad taking the faster lane to end it.
Renault 18 finally decided to go gaga when discovered my dad had gone on the Internet to acquire another car. She went nuts, auto destruction.... her heart kaboom.... Every mechanic my dad called to Just do a minor surgery for the main time till the new car arrived all failed. She had finally lost her place in my dad's heart that went she became unbearable my dad instead of selling her gave her out. Renault 18 was gone.......
Though till now she's always remembered as the first family car and my dad still talks about her till today. His first french love Renault 18.