I’ve just woken up from an excellent nap. The sound of chittering children watching television kept me company throughout and my waking is perfectly timed.
I feel thoroughly refreshed and just tired enough to go straight to bed. The perfect ‘right angle’ crick in my neck is a tad problematic, apparently I’ve been sleeping on the couch under the impression I’m made of pipe cleaners and I may never recover. No matter, it was worth it after such a busy day.
Was today different to any other day? Not exceptionally but for the passenger I had ‘on board’. A Mother / Daughter work day trailing biggest kid round.
She had a bit of a day yesterday involving her first small car crash. Car versus plant pot and ditch. Plant pot and ditch – 1. Drivers side and her pride – 0. She avoided injury but gave herself a fright. No more so than the one I got answering the phone to a sobbing 17- year-old who wasn’t making any sense.
Reverting swiftly to my ‘way back when’ emergency services training, I tried to extract from the wailing if she was hurt.
In a vocal pitch reached only by the terrified voice of a teenager waiting to see how much of a row was coming, she managed to weep through a somewhat patchy explanation.
She had met a friend for a walk, not far from the house but not somewhere she hadn’t driven to before. Was this dink due to some unfamiliar terrain? Difficult roads maybe? No? She’d been parked up when it happened. I’m even more confused now.
The word ‘cliff’ was thrown out there and now I am actually beginning to wonder if this is something more serious than first presumed. The mister naturally launched straight into Polis mode and demanded to know if anyone is hurt, what’s been damaged and most importantly, how are his precious dogs?? Calm down Officer, I know as much as you right now…….
Oh god, HAD she lost the dogs, who she was out walking at the time? This wouldn’t end well. OR had the dogs caused the crash? They are ‘spirited’ Sprockers always up to mischief after all. Did her wee motor now resemble a cartoon car with burst wheels burst and headlights popping out on a spring? Would she now need to use her feet Flintstone style to get home? So many options that ‘Overthinking MJ’ began imagining because there is nothing she can do better than create problems where there aren’t any.
As anyone who’s ever been in a car with me knows, it’s not a calming experience.
With tear stained, mascara-covered face she and her faithful wee motor limped round the corner to the prearranged meeting spot.
The mister, having worn a path pacing up and down the pavement waiting on her, was reassured on sight she (and his dogs) were okay. He drove her precious chariot home while I took her in an attempt to calm her down.
As anyone who’s ever been in a car with me knows, it’s not a calming experience. Naturally, this produced mixed results and she hadn’t quite reached the point of clear descriptions. What about her car <insert more wailing>? She’d worked to save for it, studied hard to pass her test and even pays for her own insurance.
Her driver’s door now made a sound more suited to a 1980s’ horror film coffin opening
She was so chuffed when it passed its MOT a few weeks ago and yes, it might be covered in dinks and scratches but she loves it. Her driver’s door now made a sound more suited to a 1980s’ horror film coffin opening than a VW Polo so some tears were justified.
We revisited the spot in an attempt to makes sense of what happened. It was an exceptionally picturesque place to have a wee ‘accident’ and the very nice lady who’d helped, was presented with some baked goods as a thank you for her kindness.
Assured there was no damage to anything other than her pride we can now chalk that up to experience as we await the bill from the workshop.
A day at work with me provided the distraction she needed from her small prang. We did orders, deliveries, meeting with stockists and so on. An insight into my part in the family business and she’s now shattered and ready to quit adulthood before it’s properly begun!
