It is an unspoken law for many: if you are the firstborn, your life will be more difficult and much different than the lives of your younger siblings. He knew his father was only trying to teach him to work for what he wanted, to be responsible, but when Jacob learned he would have to buy his first car with his own money, his stomach dropped. He was already younger than his friends, who were driving cars their parents had bought for them. But Jacob wasn’t a complainer, and he worked and saved. And he actually held his tongue when his parents bought his younger siblings their first cars.
His parents did break down and match some of his funds so he could buy his first car a little sooner. It was an older model, and it needed some work. He and his father pulled the car into the garage and began talking about how the car could be better, faster, sharper. When his father suggested putting a newer, larger engine in, Jacob got excited. When his father mentioned he would pay for the engine, Jacob felt relief and joy.
The goal was to have the car ready by the time Jacob got his driver’s license. He and his father borrowed a cherry-picker and pulled the old engine. With the newer engine on the chain, hanging up and ready to go into the car, they had his mother take a picture of Jacob, his father, and his younger brother all standing inside the front of the car, in the empty engine cavity. Then it was back to work. Jacob noticed his younger brother was always there with them, handing them tools and learning more than most boys his age could know about cars. Jacob put on new wheels, installed a fancy carburetor, bought nice seat covers. He noticed his father would often come home from work with something for the car, a part or something silly, like the fuzzy dice Jacob hung from his rearview mirror.
His father took Jacob to get his driver’s license. When they came home, the whole family gathered around while Jacob pulled his very own car out of the garage and took off for his girlfriend’s house. He could hear them clapping and cheering for him.
As Jacob drove down the road, all he could think of was all the time that he and his father had spent making his car better, something he could be proud of. He realized he had enjoyed working by his father’s side, and tapping into the vast knowledge his father had of cars and engines. He had resented the fact that he had to buy his own car, but now he understood that he had been given much more than a car, he had been given time and knowledge and memories, and those, he knew, were precious gifts.
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Copyright ©2026 Lisa Paul. All rights reserved.
Calling all writers! This week’s Forbidden Word Challenge is simple…tell a story about two people who care for each other, without using the word “love.” Your characters can show affection however they like, through sandwiches, umbrellas, or a very well-timed cup of tea.
Think of it as a vocabulary workout with a happy ending. Entries are due October 30, and there’s no pressure to be perfect. Just be brilliant, creative, and see how far you can go without the obvious word.
