About the Big Black Spot…

…in my driveway, that is.

It was about a week ago that I noticed it. It had probably been there for a little while, given the size and the snow that kept falling and melting, but I really noticed one day when the snow was gone and I put the car in reverse and backed out of my driveway to go to work.

It was dark, and roundish, and obviously soaked into the concrete. But more than that, it was right underneath where the front of my car normally rests whenever I’m at home.

I went past curious pretty quickly, and got that feeling in the pit of my stomach we all get when we notice something that signals something isn’t right, and whatever that something is could potentially cost a lot of money.

Then I tried to ignore it. Tried to just assume it wasn’t an ongoing problem. Whatever happened had happened, and surely it would just be gone one day, and I probably wouldn’t even notice or remember it had been there.

Alas, it kept growing. Slowly, but it was definitely getting bigger. That’s when the paranoia set in.

Every time I parked, I watched the asphalt or concrete when I backed out of a spot. If I could drive through, even better, because then I couldn’t see anything. My parking spot at work was clear, nothing seemed to be dripping at the grocery store, or the pet store, or the drugstore, or the hardware store.

But the spot kept growing overnight, like a hex on our driveway, until finally my husband noticed too, and there was no denying it any longer. And when I really looked close, I couldn’t decide if I was seeing more of an iridescent sheen or neon green tint. Would the outcome of one be worse than the other? Hard to say.

Plans were made, cash shoved anxiously in my work bag, and I dropped the car off at the mechanic three blocks from where I work a few days later, handing over the keys with no small amount of trepidation and fear of what would come next.

I walked back to work, sat down at my desk, and waited, all sorts of dollar signs and numbers floating through my head. When the call came, I braced myself. Our car is 14 years old.

“Your car is ready!” The guy had a chirpy lilt to his voice. I figured it was all the dollar signs he’d be slapping me with shortly. Some people get off on torture.

“Great,” I said, trying to stay semi-optimistic. “What was wrong?”

“Just a loose oil filter.”

My whole body immediately felt lighter, and I walked over to get my car, enjoying the sunshine I’d ignored just a couple hours earlier. I finished my workday, and had a few errands to run on my way home. Two stops. Quick. Easy. Barely anything.

Just before turning into the second parking lot…my oil light came on. It hadn’t ever done that, even when that black spot had been growing in my driveway.

I got the things I needed to get, and my heart beat fast as I turned the key in the ignition.

No oil light.

Someday I’ll stop staring at that spot on the dashboard when I start up the engine.

Maybe.

That’s it for this week! If you have a favorite thing to share, or want to recommend a book, TV show, video or podcast, comment below, email me at jamie@jamiedebree.com, or catch up with me on Facebook or Instagram.

Jamie DeBree

Writer | DBA | Dog Wrangler

About the Big Black Spot…