"The only transportation available to us was an old Buick that my older brother had left there while he was off somewhere. It was fall and the radiator had been drained."


             I was working in a gas station in Arizona one time--don't ask--and this guy pulled in with an old Straight-Eight Buick, and it was so hot the rubber had melted off the spark plug leads. There was nothing but bare wires sticking out fused to the spark plugs, but it was still running.


                  "...an uncle, claimed he diverted the fire by holding up a picture of his wife..."


                I'm betting on the uncle.