Hello all,

I've just come back from a field trip up to the Clanwilliam area. I saw the fabled Megistorhynchus longirostris of all things! This is the longest tongued fly in the world (10 cm)! I wasn't able to catch it, but that's OK.

Anyway, I was only able to get up that way because I tagged along with another graduate student Bruce Anderson. We drove his car. At the moment, I haven't got one, which I suppose brings us back to where I left off...

I was able to cancel the check to the car dealership for the Toyota Conquest. Belinda's fiance, Francios is a lawyer. He told me that legally, I had no right to cancel the check, but that they may not decide to pursue the matter. I was taking a calculated risk.

A couple days went by and I was feeling much better. Unfortunately, the way the bank canceled the check was by reporting it lost or stolen. Consequently, Mr. Kahn, the owner of the car dealership was nearly arrested when the police showed up at his car lot charging him for depositing a stolen check.

In response, Mr. Kahn and his lawyer brought up fraud charges against me for saying that the check was stolen. I was almost arrested myself. Francios dealt with them and was able to work out a deal, they fixed the car at no extra charge, and I could exchange it for any other car on the lot within 14 days. But I had to give them a new check. There wasn't any way out of the deal.

So I had another check made and went to pick up my new, old car. Mr. Kahn apologized for his sons behavior. I suppose it was him who cussed me out. I had a look in the lot at O&J Car Sales. Actually, every car in there lot had evidence of being in an accident. When I tell people that I went to O&J, usually there face goes white. I guess they run a racket of collecting totaled cars from Jo'berg and selling them in Cape Town, where they can get a better price.

I took the car to the AA (South Africa's AAA equivalient) and they told me that the car had been in a really bad front end collision. The engine had been replaced, the size of the car was a little smaller than usual because the chassis was still bent and rusted. There were a million other things wrong with the car, the inspecting mechanic said he ran out of room in the booklet that they gave me.

I realized that I didn't want any other car on their lot. On Monday, Francios talked them into letting me sell them back the car. I paid R29,000, and they agreed to take it back for R25,000. I would get the check on Thursday morning. Of course we went yesterday morning, and they didn't have the check. Mr. Kahn said he would call us, and let us know when it was ready. When they still hadn't called by 2:00, Francios called them again.

Apparently, Mr Kahn changed his mind after talking to his lawyer. He wanted to know why I wanted to sell it back, even though I had a deal to get any other car on the lot. Francios threatened them with legal action. Obviously, there was something fishy about the way they got the car "roadworthied" before the registration, plus, they didn't declare that the car had been in an accident. Their lawyer asked what the lowest price we would accept for the car would be. Francios said R25,000, per our agreement. They said R24,000. Francios said, if it's R24,000, then we need the check by 3:00, otherwise, you get a summons. They tried to bargain even lower, but eventually, after a lot of arguing, they gave me a check for R24,000, postdated to October 28th. They apparently don't have the money just yet.

I'm afraid to think that this is over. I suppose I will know on the 28th.

At least I have a chance to start over again. I don't think I could handle owning a Toyota again. When I see them on the street, it makes my stomach turn. I think I'll buy a VW Golf.

More later,

Shelah