My Car

I am not really 'into' cars.  I see them very much as a way of getting from A to B without having to use public transport.  I hate using public transport.  It's fine when it's working but when it isn't it's a nightmare.  I passed my driving test at 17, but I was 23 before I bought my first car - a metallic gold Mini Metro that was instantly christened Mercutio as I had just seen Romeo and Juliet at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon and Michael Kitchen played an outstanding Mercutio.  I waited that long as I had a very protective mother who was convinced I would have a car accident and end up with some life-changing injury or worse!  My mother's ability to nag would wear down the hardest granite so to protect the relationship I gave in and went everywhere by bus.  This inevitably ended up with more nagging when I was home late because of the unreliability of the bus service.

I ended up buying the car at the age of 23 after a particularly long day at work, leaving the office to catch the bus in the freezing cold, I waited over an hour for a bus to come out of the garage.  To this day I have no idea what caused the delay, communication not being a top priority with the bus service.  I finally  made it home to an ear-bashing from mum about being late, her being worried sick and dinner being ruined.  I should point out here that I was unable to inform my mum about the problem because my parents refused to get a telephone!  So I walked through the front door, cold and tired, into a barrage of recriminations before I had even got my coat off!  I think it's fair to say that I let rip and a very chastened parent finally agreed it was time I bought a car.  Yeehar!  The Ps also later came round to a telephone but that's a whole different story, lol.  I bought the Mini Metro on the advice of a friend and loved driving it.  I  had a few of them and then moved on to a Renault Clio - Papa! Nicole!  A short stint with a Rover 620i as a company car was particularly memorable and then I moved on to a VW Polo.  So generally I have had very sensible run-around-in cars.

When my dad died a few years ago, I held on to his car for a while because I couldn't bear to sell it.  It was his pride and joy and even though he had reached a stage in life when he could not drive the car he refused to sell because he saw it as the last vestiges of his independence disappearing.  After a year or two I thought it was finally time to sell and I decided to buy a highly, unsuitable and inappropriate car before it was too late. I rather thought my dad would approve.  I did not think too much how mum would feel, lol.

Two months into lockdown and I have barely used my car.  I filled it up with petrol at the end of March and it is still practically full.  It was a lovely day on Thursday and I had spent the morning playing cards online so was in need of fresh air.  I took the lid off and took it for a spin up the nearest A road and back again.  Not exactly wide open roads, but I enjoyed it.  It's the little things.


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