Sweet Taste of Freedom

Re-told by the civic's gas cap.

The familiar 'pop' aroused the sleeping gas cap. Finally! After 2 weeks of standing guard over the gasoline in complete darkness he was being allowed a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of glorious daylight. His captor hummed as she uscrewed him from his post and set him on the roof of the car before going to clean the front window. The gas cap didn't waste any time taking in his surroundings; when he would next be allowed to leave his post was uncertain at best.

But as always, all good times come to an end. The hum of the fuel pump halted abruptly with a loud 'click'. The girl looked over at the pump and hastily finished cleaning the front window. With a sigh almost audible, the gas cap wondered why no one ever cared to clean him. Just because he was black didn't mean he never got dirty.

But then, miracles of miracles happened! Without a second look at him, the girl replaced the pump and climbed into the car, pulling the door closed.

Leaving the gas cap on the roof.

'What?' the gas cap thought as the engine roared to life, 'I'm free?' The car slowly moved forward onto the street. Wind rushed by, sending chills down the excited gas cap. Now all he needed was to get off the roof and his fate would be sealed with sweet freedom as his destiny.

He leaned towards the edge as the car rounded the first corner, but he didn't budge. Then came the second corner. 'come on...' he pleaded as he reached away from the car. Not even a wobble.

Soon, after picking up so much speed, the car suddenly braked and turned right. And the gas cap went flying! 'Oh yeah! Third time's the charm!' he grinned as he landed two lanes away, between the left turn and the northbound lane. After years and years of service and ingratitude, the gas cap was free from his dark, cramped post. Free to enjoy the outdoor air. Free to watch the setting sun. Free to count the cars that zipped past him. Needless to say the gas cap was feeling quite pleased with himself. The girl, on the other hand, not so much.

Upon discovering her thoughtlessness. The girl raced back to re-trace her steps. Coming up on the left turn lane, the gas cap's eye widdened and he held his breath in fear, as the girl in the car he knew so well came within inches of discovering his whereabouts. Relief washed over him as she turned and drove away, back to the gas station.

But she would come back this way, he was sure. Blending into the black asphalt, the gas cap made every effort to hide behind and next to the cars that came into the left turn lane.

And then he saw her, turning right just as she had done not too long before, while throwing him off the roof of the car. 'Hurry, move forward, hide me!' he hissed up at the white car beside him.

Then the girl pulled her car into the parking lot on that corner. 'Oh no, no, oh no...' he muttered, closing his eyes and commiting every atom of his being to become one with the asphalt.

'Thud, thud, thud...' came the footsteps.

'I found you!' the girl plucked the gas cap from the ground and raised him into the air triumphantly at the other girl sitting in the white car. The girl in the white car gave the girl with the gas cap a strange look and watched, as the gas cap's captor dashed back over two lanes to her car, where she screwed the gas cap back into his post and snapped the gas tank's door closed.

Left in the darkness once more, the gas cap sat with nothing but his thoughts and a tankful of gas for company.


Don't feel sorry for the gas cap. Despite his pessimistic attitude, he really does love his job (because he gets to sleep all day long). And I am convinced that he would have ended up smashed or very grumpy from lack of sleep had he stayed in the road near the left turn lane.

But anyways, this is the story of what happened to me (the girl) yesterday after work. The sun was starting to set when I figured out that I had forgot to put the gas cap back on the gas tank. But it just goes to show you that Heavenly Father truly does love his children and answers their prayers. Even with something as insignificant as a lost gas cap.