DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE SONG OR YU-GI-OH!
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I was just out of the service
Thumbing through the classifieds
When an ad that said "Old Chevy"
Somehow caught my eye
Yuugi had just come home from serving six years in the U.S. Military. For six long years he hadn't been home. He had to admit it was good to be back. Upon his return, his family and friends had greeted him with hugs, kisses, and joyful tears. It had been a week since he had gotten off the plane that had taken him home, and now he was relaxing, reading the morning paper.
As Yuugi turned the page, an ad caught his eye. It was an ad for an 'Old Chevy' and the price was listed as one thousand dollars. For some reason, Yuugi was drawn to the ad.
He thought, "Heck, I just got back from six years in the army. I think I can treat myself to a car." With that thought, he called up his best friend, Joey Wheeler, to come and pick him up (Yuugi didn't have a car).
The lady didn't know the year
Or even if it ran
But I had that thousand dollars in my hand
It was way back in the corner
Of this old ramshackle barn
With thirty years of dust and dirt
On that green army tarp
When I pulled the cover off
It took away my breath
What she called a Chevy
Was a '66 Corvette
After going to the bank to get the money needed, Joey drove his friend to the address of the lady selling the 'Old Chevy'. The two got out and knocked on the door to have a woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes answer.
She said, "Hi, may I help you with something?"
Yuugi spoke up, "Yes ma'am, I saw your ad in the paper for an 'Old Chevy' and was interested in looking at and possibly buying the vehicle."
She smiled slightly, "Well of course. My name's Ginny by the way." She came out of the house and motioned for the two men to follow her, "It's out here. I don't know the year. I honestly don't know if it even runs."
Ginny led them to an old worn down barn. She slid the doors open and headed to the back corner of the barn where an old dark green tarp was thrown over what had to be a car.
Joey was the one to whip the tarp off the automobile. He and Yuugi both had their breath taken away. What Ginny had called an old Chevy was really a 1966 Corvette.
Yuugi walked around the car in slight awe. It was beautiful dark smoky gray color with two black stripes down the center of the car. Not much dust had gotten to the Corvette because of it being hidden beneath that tarp for almost thirty years according to Ginny.
Yuugi and Joey both knew that if this lady was selling this beautiful car for only a thousand bucks that they best not tell her that it was most certainly not an 'Old Chevy'.
And I felt a little guilty
As I counted out the bills
But what a thrill I got
When I sat behind the wheel
I opened up the glove box
And that's when I found the note
The date was 1966 and this is what he wrote
He said…
Yuugi counted out the bills, feeling a bit guilty that he hadn't told Ginny just how much the car was worth, but something told him that he shouldn't say anything, that the Corvette belonged with him.
Yuugi took the keys from Ginny and opened the door and slid into the driver's seat. He couldn't help but notice how excited he felt sitting behind the wheel of this car. A thrill shot through him has he looked over the sleek interior. Yuugi opened the glove box, and to his surprise found a piece of paper inside.
Curiously, Yuugi picked up the paper and realized it was a note. He immediately began to read:
"My name is Private Atem Malone,
And if you're reading this
Then I didn't make it home.
But for every dream that's shattered,
Another one comes true.
This car was once a dream of mine
Now it belongs to you.
Though you may take Her and make Her your own,
You'll always be riding with Private Malone."
Yuugi got a chill as he read the note. This car had once belonged to a soldier, Private Atem Malone. A soldier just like him, but Atem hadn't made it home. Yuugi carefully tucked the note under the visor of the car, he was not going to lose that note.
Well it didn't take me long at all
I had Her running good
I loved to hear those horses
Thunder underneath Her hood
I had Her shining like a diamond
And I put the ragtop down
All the pretty girls would stop and stare
As I drove Her through town
Yuugi inserted the key into the ignition and turned it. Surprisingly, the car cranked and the engine sputtered to life. Yuugi and Joey both began to work on the car, fixing what could be fixed and making note of what would need to be repaired later. Pretty soon, they had the car running good.
Yuugi drove the Corvette home, Joey just behind him in his pickup truck. Once there, they got out the soap, water, rags, and polisher. They made that '66 shine like it was just out of the factory. They put the top down and gazed at the car for a little while.
"I really wish I didn't have to go. I'd love to go for a ride, but I promised Serenity I'd be home for dinner tonight," Joey said.
"I'll take you for a ride soon. Whenever you want to go, come on over," Yuugi replied.
"I will! Bye Yug, see ya soon." With that, Joey climbed into his pickup and drove off.
Yuugi looked over his new Corvette again before getting in the driver's seat. He pulled Private Atem Malone's note from the visor and reread it. Yuugi smiled slightly. He would welcome Private Malone and take him for a ride anytime. The spikey haired man tucked the note under the visor again and then started up the car. The engine roared to life this time. With a smile on his face, Yuugi pulled out of his driveway and zoomed off down the road.
As he drove through the city, everyone stopped to stare as he passed in the smoky Corvette. Girls waved and men shouted out comments such as 'Nice car!' or 'Sweet ride!' and children pointed and waved at Yuugi as he passed.
The buttons on the radio
Didn't seem to work quite right
But it picked up that Oldie's Show
Especially late at night
I get the feeling sometimes
If I turned real quick
I'd see a soldier riding shotgun
In the seat right next to me
It was a young man named Private Atem Malone
Who fought for his country and never made it home
But for every dream that's shattered
Another one comes true
This car was once a dream of his back when it was new
He told me to take Her and make Her my own
And I was proud to be riding
With Private Malone
Yuugi played around with the buttons on the radio and figured out that it didn't work quite right, but he figured out that the Oldie's Show came through just fine, especially as it kept getting later into the night.
When he made a turn real quick, Yuugi happened to glance to his right, and could've sworn he'd seen a man who looked a lot like him, dressed as a soldier, riding in the seat next to him. However, when he turned his head to look, there was no one there. Yet, it still felt as though he had a companion in the car. It wasn't a creepy or ominous feeling, but a feeling of friendship and safety. And Yuugi knew that it must be Private Atem Malone.
Yuugi smiled, he had certainly made this car his, just like Private Malone had told him to do. And Yuugi was proud to know he was riding with Private Atem Malone.
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One night it was raining hard
I took the curve too fast
I still don't remember much about that fiery crash
Yuugi had been driving his Corvette for almost two years now. He was always proud to get behind the wheel of the smoke colored '66. Every time he got into the car, he took either a look at or he read the note that Private Atem Malone had left in the Corvette.
Tonight was no different. Yuugi had been at his girlfriend, Téa's, house. When he had walked out the front door, he found it to be pouring rain. Téa had offered for Yuugi to stay the night or at least until the storm cleared, but Yuugi had declined the offer. He had to get to work in the morning and had to get home.
Yuugi gave a quick kiss to Téa before running out to his car and swiftly getting inside.
The man took a look at the letter that was still clipped beneath the visor of the 1966 Corvette and with a silent prayer for safety, started up the car and pulled from the driveway and drove off.
Visibility was limited and the roads were slick with water. Yuugi could barely see ten feet ahead of him. It was pure misfortune that a turn came unexpectedly and Yuugi ended up turning the wheel a bit to fast.
The Corvette spun violently off the road, hitting the shoulder of the tarmac and flipping several times, the engine and gas tank caught fire. The acrid smoke even darker than the paint job on the '66 and flames bright in the black night burst into the sky in a miniature mushroom cloud. The driver, Yuugi Motuo, had fallen unconscious after hitting his head against the window on one of the Corvette's flips.
Someone said they thought they saw a soldier pull me out
They didn't get his name
But I know without a doubt
It was a young man named Private Atem Malone
Who fought for his country
And never made it home
But for every dream that's shattered
Another one comes true
This car was once a dream of his
Back when it was new
And I know I wouldn't be here
If he hadn't tagged along
Yeah, that night I was riding with Private Malone
Oh, thank God I was riding…
With Private Malone…
The next morning, Yuugi awoke in a hospital room with Téa, Joey, his mother, Serenity, Tristan, and Mokuba sitting in the room around him.
Yuugi groaned slightly at his pounding head and the stabbing pains in his side. At the sound, every occupant of the room was on their feet and gathered around the bed. His mother said something and Joey disappeared out the door and came back barely a minute later with a nurse and a doctor in tow.
"Hey baby," his mother said, gripping one of his hands in her one, "How do you feel?"
Yuugi took a shaky breath and his voice came out as a weak croak, "Like shit." His reply got a chuckle or giggle out of almost everyone in the room. "What happened?"
The doctor, Dr. Nichols, spoke up, "You were in a car crash. It was storming yesterday night and you lost control of your Corvette. The car must have flipped several times. You were knocked unconscious at some point during the crash."
Yuugi took a moment to process that, "All I remember is She spun on the road and hit the shoulder…"
Dr. Nichols nodded, "You have a few broken ribs and have been unconscious for several hours."
Yuugi answered with a lighter tone, trying to keep the mood brighter, "I figured that much." It didn't work.
Téa spoke up, her voice a bit higher than normal, "I knew I shouldn't have let you leave!" It was obvious she had been blaming herself and freaking out over the crash.
Yuugi reached out and put a hand on hers, "Hey, it wasn't your fault. It was mine for thinking I could drive home in a storm like that. Don't go blaming yourself."
Téa nodded, tears shining in her eyes about to follow the tracks left by the ones she had shed before. She gave a small smile to say she would listen.
It was Joey who commented then, "We thought you'd died, Yug. When they called and told us what happened, it seemed impossible that you had survived."
"The woman who lived in a nearby house who saw the crash said she saw…" Serenity began only for Téa to finish.
"She said she saw a soldier pull you out…"
"The paramedics and police never got his name but…" Tristan started, but paused when he saw the knowing smile on Yuugi's face.
"What is it, Yug?" Joey asked.
Yuugi answered, "It was Private Atem Malone. I know it. He pulled me from the Corvette."
"Ya mean the guy who left that note in the car when ya got it?"
"The very same." Yuugi paid his friends and mother's confused and disbelieving looks no mind. He thought in his mind, "Thank you, Atem Malone. I thank God I was riding with you last night. I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't tagged along. Perhaps I'll get to meet you one day."
It might have been the pain medication, it might have been the headache, but Yuugi could have sworn he heard an answer, "You're welcome, Yuugi Motuo. And we have already met. Perhaps not face to face, but it was not time for that just yet."
Yuugi's smile widened a bit and he settled back in the pillows of his bed and looked at his friends and mother and the doctors, "Thank God I was riding with Private Atem Malone."
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The song that inspired this is called "Riding With Private Malone" by David Ball. If you have never heard this song, I suggest listening to it.