The tale gets one more twist. More than forty years later, in 2021, John — now driving something far more modern with, presumably, a better heater — passed the same stretch of road. He recognized the driveway, turned in, and met the son of the now-deceased Virgil.
And here’s the surprise: the story lived on in their family too. “The boy who broke in and did the dishes” had become part of their own family lore. It just goes to show — sometimes bad luck with an old car leads to the best stories. Though in 2025, we still recommend calling roadside assistance rather than trying the back door of a stranger’s house.