Trying to sell an old car could be this much trouble, I never imagined. Dodgy scammers, criminals, tools who never turn up for appointments or fools who can’t find their way out of the car park, they are all part of the journey. My weekend was done when this fool of a woman called me Saturday morning to meet at a local shopping mall so that she could look at the car. She turned up half an hour later, on my phone, completely losing it as she was unable to get out of the car park! All grumpy and pissed off, I had to cut short the meeting and walk away before I lost my sanity.
Then Sunday morning an old Middle eastern sounding gentleman called from Parramatta saying he could be there at 1 pm. The meeting was set and off I went waiting for him. I arrived early thinking of grabbing my favorite takeway coffee, I had some time to sit down in a local food court. I sat by the window pane overlooking the ice rink sipping my coffee working on my Mac checking some other potential car buyers’ messages. The seat in front of me was changing bums, from a Russian couple and their daughter to an Indian family and some teenagers, in quick succession. The last character to sit in front of me was an unkempt dirty looking mid forties man. He politely asked if the seat was taken, I just gestured back its not. He immediately started a conversation with comments about the cold. I shot few words back saying yeah, the polar blast has been quite bad. He did not want to end it there and asked if I lived around the place. I said yes, and told him why I was there, I was waiting for someone to look at my car. To my surprise, he started to unravel his life story in front of me. He said that he is actually homeless, and once had a car, a house and job. He took me through his mental alley. He was apparently an artist and worked with quite a few indegenous artists, took on jobs painting street signs and art work. But due to poor health he could not continue and fell out, instead working odd jobs as construction worker. There he did well and actually became a low level manager. But his health deterioriated further and he could not work at all. And just like that one night, he found himself on the street, nowhere to go. He became homeless overnight! Since then he has been moving from one government housing to another, and currently in one where he could be evicted soon due to complaints he has made about the place – it is full or rats and cockroaches. The reason he has been given apparently have been his aggressive behaviour, unable to comply with housing regulations and threats towards the housing commission workers. He denied ever committing any of those felony.
In the midle of the conversation with the homeless man, I realised it was already 1 pm, the car buyer was supposed to be there. I had to call him back instead, just for him to tell me that he is still in Parramatta, his brother turne up late! No fu***ing message no apologies nothing! I lost track of the homeless guy dealing with this a-hole on the phone and before late, realized I was already on my car driving way back home fuming. Once my fumes subsided and mind cooled off, I suddenly remembered him and thought where would the guy be going if he was really evicted tonight! My weekend was screwed totally, but things were put in perspective. Life sure has a funny way of sneaking up on you.
Ravi Tandukar 