After the trip in 2015, the car returned to be stored at my biological fathers’ place up near Boquette. This had always been a less than comfortable situation over the years, as invariably a situation developed over the care and maintenance of it.
What began as a car in storage quickly became his daily driver, and then came the request to renew the insurance on it when he got caught speeding (and even wanting his speeding ticket paid 
).
I felt he had a rare, vintage car, in excellent condition, to drive around as he pleased, and didn’t have to wear out his own vehicles. On his side, he felt he was storing my vehicle free of charge, and this was his compensation.
In the end, I agreed to keep it insured, if only to insure against him as the primary risk, but after a few years away, more requests to pay for parts and repairs continued to come my way, until I had finally had enough. I felt I was being held hostage by the situation. and squeezed every now and then for costs I had no part in creating.
I offered to continue the arrangement if only he would pay the insurance, maintenance, and upkeep of the car while he drove it. A free car without having to buy it! Nice… or so I thought.
This was refused, so after some soul searching, I gifted TwoGunz to a friend I had made over the years I felt deserving of it. I certainly wan’t going to leave it with him. Just before Christmas 2018, a few e-mails went back and forth, and my friend took possession of it a few days later, only to ghost me for almost a year.
My e-mails were not replied to, and so I thought I had made my last error in Panama. Oh well… After some separation anxiety, I concluded that at least the issue was finally resolved, and I washed my hands of the entire headache.
Yet the story was not over. Just before Christmas 2019, I got an e-mail asking for a copy of my passport, as it was needed to transfer the title of my car. Rather surprised, I refused to send this personal information a year after gifting it, and forgot about it again. For a year, I had been left twisting in the wind, not knowing what the story was, or really, whether possession of the car had ever really been taken.
I rather thought the car had been left where it was, a payment of sorts had been made between the two parties, and ‘someone’ had continued driving it for yet another year, and now that some work needed to be done, the work had been refused by the shop without proof of clear title.
Who knows what the real story was, but another story I got was that it had been stored at a mechanic for the year, and she hadn’t had the energy to get to it. E-mails to keep me informed require little effort, so I concluded I again didn’t have the facts, and left it at that. Also, if there was any truth to that, the mechanic had probably found a buyer, and the information was needed by him.
I simply cannot believe that someone gifted with such a thing would not make even the most minimal effort to keep me informed, and fend off the feeling of an an error in judgement.
Gladly, and with some finality, I washed my hands of it yet again, and God willing, can file this as one of the greatest chapters of my life.
TwoGunz was built to give me 10 years of reliability in a foreign country. I got that and so much more. Every single travel story seen on this blog was made possible though her. It operated as educator, providing access to places not available to the average traveler. as well as the experiences that went with it.
It is upsetting that I won’t be able to see what becomes of her, but such is life I guess. In reality, if I ever do return to Panama again, it will be with more money, and the ability to buy a newer car already there. One with A/C!
Good bye TwoGunz!!! You served me well over the years, opened up my world, and changed my life forever.
