A Car Story

I really want to tell you my car story – and I say ‘my’ car story - because the parts of the story that could be ‘our’ car story are seen through ‘my’ eyes!

This story, for me, starts 44 years ago in Bulawayo when I turned 16 and had no desire to get my driver’s licence as was expected  – I was busy – busy modelling and writing my GCE “O” Levels – and I was in a hurry to find out what life was like in a ‘real’ city – besides, I got fetched for assignments and for dates and I liked it that way.  I left for Johannnesburg - to study mostly - what I studied didn’t matter much, it was all that was open to me at the time – my objective was to get to the city where buses were all the wheels I needed – except when girl friends decided I had to meet their brother or friend – all of them described in terms of the car they drove!

I had the ‘city bug’ and it wasn’t long before I made it all the way to London – I love cities but London will always be my first true love!  How is this, a ‘car story’ you ask – I know – cars have never featured that high on my list of priorities but I will get there.  Planes, buses, trains – no real need for cars – except if I count the combi-like vehicle that took me and 5 acquaintances to Barcelona - one way!   To cut a long story short – I could have gone a lot longer without a car in my life but two years  on, I found myself heading back to Africa on board an Ocean Liner with a big fat aging gold-coloured Merc in the hold – phew – did I feel like my wings had been clipped!

I hated that car – except for when it wouldn’t start which was more often than not - then I would open the bonnet and reconnect a little plastic pipe I had been shown was the culprit – when I got back in the car and it started every male for miles around seemed to be starring in disbelief and admiration – now that I had to ‘like’ – just a little!!

I was 21 when I had eventually gone for my driver’s test – I was also 8 months pregnant and when I am pregnant, I am very pregnant – my test may have lasted all of 10 minutes – that examiner was in no mood to be delivering any babies that day – so much easier than I had expected!

After the monster Merc, I had a ghastly 2 tone turquoise VW station wagon so that I could fit a carry cot on the back seat and pram wheels in the back – decidedly ‘unsexy’!

When I met Demi he had a goldish colour BMW – old – but then all the cars in Zim back then were old – so it looked awesome – way more ‘sexy’ – except that it was faulty and when I drove it while he was in the army I found out that turning left caused the hooter to activate.  Old people and females would curse me and if looks could kill I would not be alive today, while – even more embarrassingly - men of all ages would assume I was trying to attract their attention – I used to blush in those days so this was particularly annoying!

When Demi and I came to South Africa - I was about 26 years old – we spent every last cent we had on a brand new Opel Kadett, which we were very proud of – getting finance was no mean feat!  We loved that car in Johannesburg but in Durban – not so much – it seemed to have an ‘altitude’ problem!  One day a girl who came to my aerobic classes said her husband would be happy to work on the car – he was a Christian, so of course – what more did I need to know - when I got the car back it actually reversed in first gear – we loved it so much less after that!

Then began our infatuation with Toyota – a little red 1.3 Toyota Conquest I remember because my eldest son, Marc learned to drive in it and it became his 21st birthday present.  A silver 1.6 Toyota I remember because it helped launch the ACDP in the early days – it struggled too when retrenchments hit us and I was studying law – I remember pushing it at times in the rain to get Christy and John-Paul to school.  Then came a call to Parliament and I deliriously handed our precious Toyota over as a gift to the lady who had worked for and with me over the previous 15 years – you would have been forgiven for thinking she had just been called to Parliament.

There was so much to be grateful for – and a car allowance was one of them.  I was determined to be very sensible and grown up about this – I was in my late 40’s after all!  I settled for a second-hand British racing green Merc – I know uggh - as grateful as I was, it still did nothing to change my negativity toward Mercs. Years later when I needed to up-grade – I couldn’t give the car away – it had done so much mileage (I can say that – I’m old enough!),  and had travelled so many crazy dirt roads – it was finished - so was I come to think of it.  At about this time my middle son was needing to prepare to get his driver’s licence so I decided – because each new car we buy does its rounds from Demi to me or me to Demi and then on to one of our kids – I needed a car with a gear shift, suitable for him to learn, borrow and get - when he turned 21 – and my green Palio seemed to fit the bill!

Next Demi chose his dream car for me – another Merc - bigger, newer (relatively speaking) silver with pale blue fluffy seat covers – hmmm – if I say I tried to like it, I might be exaggerating but I didn’t complain – much!  Then we bought my lovely 2006 Merc , and Demi got to drive his ‘baby’.   I have to say this 2006 Elegance was a pleasure – hardly knew I was driving her – but she was still a Merc.

The past 2 to 3 years Demi and I have been ‘discussing’ the fact that I need to up-grade – Demi ‘discusses’ with all the passion of a true Italian and the conviction of an Afrikaaner – I’m trying to be nice here - I swing from being cold and emotionless in what I call true German style to being entirely Irish – wildly excitable and generally crazy – it’s helpful, in my book anyway - to recognise your roots at times!  I decided the only car I liked was a Mini Cooper and if I couldn’t have a Mini Cooper - I wanted to drive a Yaris.  Demi never disappointed in terms of reacting – he is a Merc man – and besides – surely I had to know by now he is always right!

Well it is true – Demi is usually right – I on the other hand don’t need to be right – I just know what I like.  Guess what – today I picked up my new A1 Audi – silver with a black roof – a brilliant compromise I think.   So that is my ‘Car Story’!