Rodney is a shoe salesman. He began his career as an electronics salesman with a large department store. Rodney found it difficult to keep up with current trends. His favorite electronic possession was an ’85 Sony Trinitron television set. He enjoyed watching old movies on the classic tube. He saw no need for updated home entertainment technology, not even a remote control. Customers were not impressed with his lack of knowledge on current technology. Rodney led the staff with the lowest sales volume for eight consecutive months. Thus Rodney was transferred to the shoe department.
     The shoe department offered more consistency. He no longer needed to be concerned about new products. He did well there. Even so, there was something lacking in his life. Rodney’s true love was art.
     Rodney wasn’t much of an artist, but he appreciated good art. He spent time at the local art museum. He would slowly walk the wooden floor. He would stare the paintings. One in a few would tell a story to Rodney. He would often become transfixed. Today was no different.
     Today was a showing at the local art museum. Rodney requested the day off to attend the show. He had attended so many shows that he developed a routine. He would avoid the awkward nature of conversation and head straight to the back. There he would find the punch bowl and cheese slices. From there he would scan the room for a painting that would most appeal to him.
     Rodney sipped on the cup of punch he had just found. He looked around the room. The attendance consisted of several small groups. Together they formed a moderate crowd. He looked at the paintings. Most consisted of dark outdoor settings. A series of paintings caught Rodney’s attention. He walked towards the paintings. Rodney stopped in front of one of the paintings. He stared at it.
    “I like the toilet graveyard,” Rodney overheard a man say.
    “I can’t get over this one,” Rodney overheard another man say.
     Rodney turned his attention to the two men standing next to him. One was gesturing towards the next painting.
    “I like this one,” the man said.
    “Well I’ll have to show you the toilet graveyard. You’ll think it’s a hoot,” said the other man.
     The two men turned and walked across the floor. Rodney stepped in front of the next painting. It captured his attention. He stared at it intently. What a story this one told! He studied the detail of the painting. It depicted a driver’s view of a road with an immense vertical loop in the distance. Rodney grinned to himself. This is the story.
     The black ’77 TA sped down the highway. It was a work of beauty. The header and bumper were constructed together to give a sleek appearance. The square headlights and honeycomb grill were the finishing touches. Yet the truest trademark was on the hood. The gold Firebird decal glistened in the sunlight.
     This vehicle would be put to the test. The crankshaft was maxed out at three thousand six hundred revolutions per minute. The car would need every ounce of horsepower to make this maneuver. The dual exhaust sucked air out of the engine. The mixture of air and gas caused thousands of explosions on the exhaust valves. They constantly fluctuated in temperature. If not properly adjusted, the valves would crack.
     The Trans Am roared alone down the highway. Dust created a whirlwind behind the car. It passed a road sign. The vehicle was quickly approaching the immense vertical loop. The vehicle must maintain maximum speed to create enough centripetal force to stay on the road while driving upside down on the loop.
     The loop stood like a giant tower before the vehicle. Initially, the road ramped gradually. On the right, the Trans Am passed the bottom of the loop leading back towards the earth. The driver felt gravity’s pull as the degree of inclination increased. The engine strained. It had been travelling a maximum speed for several miles. The driver held the accelerator down. The carburetor was filled with particle. Air stalled in the cylinders. The fuel burned hotter.
     The vehicle traveled across the portion of the road with a seventy-degree angle with the earth. There was no turning back. Turning right or left led to at least a half-mile drop. Letting off the gas not an option. The car traveled up the ninety-degree stretch of road. It was traveling straight up from the earth. The valves began to crack due to the excessive wear. This created an imbalance in the exhaust emissions. The head gasket cracked. Coolant mixed with the oil. Cracks formed in the engine block. The engine was overheating. The vehicle left a trail of discolored exhaust.
     The car continued. Momentum carried the Trans Am. Speed was decreasing rapidly. The vehicle was near the peak of the loop. The car lost its traction with the road. In effect, the car was launched back in the direction it came. It sailed through the air. The weight of the engine pulled the nose of the car down. It was flying through the air almost perpendicular with the ground. The road angled beneath the car. The car had stayed on the road long enough to change it’s direction with the road. The car quickly approached the opposite side of the loop.
     The driver clutched the steering wheel. He could see the road that lay beneath him through the windshield. The engine continued to run. Black exhaust filled the air behind the car. Time seemed to stand still as the car remained airborne. The car was pointed towards the road. It had become a missile. The driver had two options. The first was to jump from the car. The second was to see the car through to its final moments. He chose the latter.
     The car crashed into the road. The front end hit first causing the tail end to slam down. It had landed upright. The car spun wildly down the declining slope of the road. The driver spun the wheel madly. It was of no use. The car reached the point where the road reached ground. Momentum carried the battered vehicle forward. Finally the car slid to a halt.
     Rodney took a bite of cheese. He looked at the information tag on the wall. The oil painting could be bought for three thousand six hundred dollars. He had never bought a painting. He noticed someone standing next to him.
    “I’m going to buy that painting,” Rodney said.
    “It is a nice painting,” said the man.
    “It reminds me of a car I once had,” Rodney said.
     The man looked at the painting to understand what he meant.
    “They don’t make them like they used to,” Rodney said.