Gift of Good Parking
GIFT OF GOOD PARKING – August 30, 2025 – Battle Creek, Washington, USA
After picking up his friends, Candace and Jake, Robert made a right turn on the highway leading from their house. Gloria, Robert’s date, turned to him from the front passenger seat and said, “You turned the wrong way. The amphitheater’s to the left.”
“We have to get Mitch,” Robert answered matter-of-factly.
“Who’s Mitch?”
Gloria and Robert’s relationship was only eight weeks old. They had moved past the point of simple mutual attraction and were now sharing details about their everyday lives. That meant Robert was meeting Gloria’s longtime friends and vice versa. That night’s concert would be Gloria’s first chance to spend extended time with some of Robert’s core people. He met Candance, Jake, and Mitch ten years earlier while working at a paper mill, and ever since, had hung out with them at least once a month.
Robert glanced toward Gloria and casually said, “I guess I forgot to mention Mitch. We always take him along when we expect a big crowd.”
Gloria chuckled at the strangeness of the explanation. “What for?”
“So we can get a good parking spot.”
“A good parking spot? Does he have a handicapped pass or something?”
“No. It’s more like a gift. You might call it luck, but it’s something different.”
From the backseat, Candace jumped in to try and explain. “It’s definitely not just luck. With luck, something special might happen once or twice. But when you’re with Mitch, you get a good parking spot every time. I swear by it.”
Jake quickly added his testimony. “Every time I go to a basketball game with Mitch, the parking attendants tell us everything is full but we always find a spot near the door. And when you take Mitch downtown you can always park in front of the building you need. No matter what time it is.”
“We can’t explain it,” Robert concluded. “We stopped trying to explain it. We just know it works.”
Gloria made a skeptical face. “What’s this Mitch guy like? Some kind of fast talker who convinces people to give up their parking space?”
“Oh no. He’s quiet. He doesn’t say much of anything. The universe just finds a space for him.”
“You guys are messing with me, aren’t you?” Gloria said with a laugh. “This can’t be real. I’ve never heard of anything like this.”
“You’ll get to see it with your own eyes.”
Robert drove five miles away from the direction of the concert to reach Mitch’s house. When the car arrived, it was obvious Mitch had been waiting and watching for them because he immediately walked out the front door. Gloria expected some unusual or mystical character to emerge, but Mitch looked completely average. He had a generic dad-bod build, typical for someone in his late thirties. He was clean shaven but losing his hair. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and carried a light jacket in case the evening weather turned cool. He squeezed into the car’s backseat next to Candace.
“Mitch, this is Gloria,” Robert said by way of introduction.
Gloria and Mitch greeted each other and then Mitch fell silent. He smiled, but did not say a word as the others talked about the bands they would hear at the concert – Toto and Men at Work.
“I love 80’s music, but aren’t these bands a little old for us? I can’t believe they’re still touring,” Candance said.
“But they’re classics. They never go out of style,” Jake replied.
Mitch nodded in agreement.
They reached a point a mile from the outdoor amphitheater and noticed people walking along the road carrying blankets.
“Are these people going to the concert?” Gloria asked. “The parking lot must be full. Maybe we should look for a place on the street.”
Robert turned to her with a smirk. “We can do a lot better than this. Trust me.”
The closer they got to the amphitheater, the more people they saw who were walking next to the road. Cars in front of them turned around, convinced they would not find a parking spot any closer. Robert kept driving confidently toward the concert entrance.
“Look at all these people,” Gloria said in near alarm. “There’s no way we’re finding a spot up here.”
“We’ll be fine,” Robert replied.
He continued to follow the trickle of cars still rolling toward the amphitheater’s closest parking spaces. They passed row after row of parked cars. Eventually, the traffic in front of them thinned out as drivers abandoned their quest for an ideal parking location. Theirs was the only car still searching by the time they reached the very front of the lot.
“This is crazy. We’re just wasting time,” Gloria said in frustration.
As the words left her mouth, a set of tail lights lit up on a minivan backing out of a space.
“Look! They’re leaving!” Candace shouted.
The minivan vacated the spot and drove away.
“Why would they be leaving?” Gloria asked in a tone that showed she was almost disappointed.
Robert shrugged his shoulders and said, “Who knows?’ as he pulled into the space. They were only a few feet away from the closest possible parking spot. Robert turned to Gloria and added, “Told you.”
“That was total luck,” Gloria replied dismissively.
“I don’t count on luck. I count on Mitch.”
Everyone from Robert’s car joined the crowd of concertgoers walking toward a security checkpoint and ticket scanners. They found a comfortable spot on the grassy hill encircling the performance stage and spread out blankets. Mitch sat to one side of the two couples, who snuggled as the music played. He appeared perfectly content to be there and sang along softly to lyrics he knew. Three hours later, they all made the short walk back to the car while raving about the great time they had. Robert maneuvered though traffic and dropped off his passengers in the reverse order he had picked them up.
A week later, Robert heard about an airshow at a nearby airport. He asked Gloria if she wanted to go and she eagerly agreed. Robert volunteered to drive and when he picked up Gloria she said, “I’ve never been to an airshow. This is very exciting. I read all about the tricks the pilots do in the sky. Makes me a little sick just thinking about it.”
Robert returned a laughing grin and said, “Me too. Kind of like the ultimate roller coaster. I hope this is as fun as the concert. I want to keep you entertained.”
Gloria smiled and put her hand affectionately on Robert’s shoulder. After a few seconds, she said, “Aren’t we going the wrong direction? I thought the airport was the other way.”
“Yeah, but we have to pick up Mitch first.”
Gloria laughed like Robert must be joking. “Yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. I read that parking is going to be horrible. Without Mitch, we’ll end up walking two miles.”
Gloria pulled her hand away from Robert’s shoulder. “I don’t get the weird relationship you have with Mitch. It’s like you believe he has supernatural powers.”
“You saw what happened at the concert.”
“That was just a coincidence.”
Robert faked a laugh. “It’s not a coincidence if it happens all the time.”
“Are you saying you won’t go anywhere without Mitch?”
“Not if it involves a big parking hassle.”
“I thought it would be just the two of us at the airshow. If I knew there was going to a third wheel, maybe I wouldn’t have come.”
“Sorry. But I can’t change things now. I already invited Mitch. He’s waiting for us. And you’ve seen how he doesn’t get in anyone’s way. You’ll hardly notice he’s there.”
Gloria pursed her lips and said, “I’ll notice.”
They reached Mitch’s house and he was waiting for them. He hurried to the car and climbed in the backseat. After some polite hellos, he quietly settled in. Gloria decided to give him and Robert the silent treatment. The drive to the airport felt a little like a funeral procession. Then they began spotting acrobatic airplanes leaving smoke trails in the sky.
“Check that out! They’re part of the airshow,” Robert said, trying to lighten the mood in the car.
The closer they got to the planes, the more Gloria seemed to forget she was mad. She pointed toward the smoke trails and wondered aloud how the pilots could make the turns and loops.
A mile and a half from the airport, they noticed cars parked on the side of the road and pedestrians carrying folding chairs. Gloria instinctively said, “We should start looking for a space.”
Robert replied confidently, “We can do better than this.”
As he had done at the concert, he continued to follow a line of cars that led to the entrance. Every available parking space parallel to the road and in the small parking lot was full. Robert kept driving until he reached a series of metal airplanes hangars close to the entrance gate. He suddenly spotted someone walking toward a parked pickup truck.
“Look! That guy’s leaving.”
Robert waited behind him and then pulled into the vacated space.
“You couldn’t ask for a better spot than this!” Robert said gleefully. “Mitch, you did it again!”
Robert, Gloria, and Mitch showed their tickets as they walked through the opening in the fence surrounding the airfield. They kept their eyes on the sky as airplane acrobats continued to corkscrew upward and then dive to the ground. When no stunt planes were flying, they found plenty of vintage aircraft and classic cars to admire.
Gloria held Robert’s hand as they traipsed around refurbished WWII bombers and antique jets. They watched visitors sign up for sightseeing flights on the vintage planes. Robert laughed about the idea of paying $300 for only a few minutes in the air.
During the walking tour, Mitch trailed behind the couple and acted interested in the same things. He did not interject into any of their conversations, but Gloria still acted annoyed he was there. She continued looking backward and sighing like she was being followed by a security detail.
As they walked from the vintage planes to a lineup of vintage autos, Mitch peeled off to use the bathroom. Gloria decided to make a stand.
“I don’t want someone following us around the rest of the day. We don’t need a chaperone. I want us to be alone.”
Robert looked toward Mitch who was about to reach the portable bathrooms. “What can I do? I can’t just ditch him. He needs a ride home.”
“Tell him to take an Uber home. Tell him we’re going on one of those sightseeing flights and you don’t think he should have to wait around for us all day.”
“He’ll know I’m trying to get rid of him. I feel bad.”
“It’s either him or me. If we’re spending time together, I want you all to myself.”
Gloria put her arms around Robert and nuzzled his ear. He sighed before saying, “Okay. I’ll tell him.”
When Mitch emerged from the bathroom, Robert was waiting for him. “Hey, can I ask you for a huge favor?”
“Sure. Whatever you need,” Mitch replied.
Robert gestured toward Gloria who stood 100 feet away. “She’s got it in her head that she wants to be alone with me. Can I pay for an Uber to take you home?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“You know I love being around you. Gloria’s just not used to you yet. But she’ll come around.”
“Sure. I understand. I don’t want to be in the way. I want to look at some of the fast cars and then I’ll take off.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m just happy for the invite.”
Robert arranged for Mitch’s ride and then returned to Gloria. “Okay, someone’s coming to pick him up.”
She wrapped her arms around him and said, “I know that wasn’t easy, but now I’ve got you all to myself.”
They walked past more fast cars and planes and Gloria held tighter to Robert. She giggled about how he should buy her a Ferrari and a private jet. Robert suggested they get something to eat from one of the food trucks parked against a hangar. Gloria said she felt like eating at a restaurant and maybe it was time to leave.
“You sure we’ve seen enough?” Robert asked.
“I’m sure,” Gloria insisted.
They walked arm in arm back to Robert’s car waiting in the perfect parking space. From a distance, Robert noticed something unusual on his windshield. He grumbled and worried about what it could be. He reached his car to find a $200 parking ticket tucked under his windshield wiper.
“What’s this? How was I supposed to know I couldn’t park here?” Robert looked at a dozen cars parked next to him. None of them had tickets. “Why am I the only one?”
“I’m sorry,” Gloria said, but instead of sounding consoling, she added, “I guess this is what happens when you count on Mitch.
Robert looked at her angrily. “Oh no! Don’t you blame Mitch! This is the first time I’ve ever gotten a ticket and it’s because I sent him away. I’m being punished for treating Mitch like that.”
“You can’t believe that.”
“I totally believe it. And the first place I’m going is Mitch’s house to apologize.”
Gloria frowned. “And you expect me to go with you?”
“I do if you ever want to see me again. Because you’re either taking me with Mitch or not at all.”
Gloria looked like she had just lost everything on a poker game. She meekly got into the car and said, “Alright. Let’s go see Mitch. Maybe I can get used to good parking.”
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