Driving me mad

This morning Dave took Hannah to gymnastics and then went on to Sainsbury with Ethan in tow. The idea was that I would collect Hannah unless Dave called to say he'd finished shopping in time for him to get there.

Once Dave left the house I had an hour to tidy and clean the house and get myself ready to leave the house. I wiped things down, cleaned things out, washed up, sorted, ironed, arranged, and, with five minutes before I needed to leave the house, contemplated how quickly I can slap on some make-up, fix my hair and get dressed.

With perfect timing I got into the car and pressed the power button.

The engine turned over slowly. I tried again, and again, and again until the engine didn't bat a headlamp and had the nerve to advise me that it was immobilised. Well, frankly, that was obvious. The bloody thing wasn't going anywhere.

The words of Essex Ford were ringing in my ear from when the car had been returned to me the last time I'd booked it in after a flat battery incident - "No fault found."

My mind was racing. In nine minutes time Hannah would be expecting a parent to collect her, and I was that parent.

I phoned Dave. I phoned Dave again, and again and again. My first message explained the situation and told him he needed to go and get Hannah and if he was in the middle of Sainsbury I'd walk up to the store and find the trolley. My second message said something like "AND TURN YOUR PHONE ON!" Not that I was at all stressed.

Realising telephony wasn't going to help me, I started running. I needed to find Dave so he could get in his car to fetch Hannah. I called the gymnastics coach and explained we'd be late.

As I walked into Sainsbury I spotted Dave who had just cleared the checkout with Ethan in tow. We swapped. I took Ethan to the cafe to wait and Dave rushed to collect Hannah.

Later that day after we'd jump started the offending motor Dave mentioned he thought the power steering was sounding dodgy again too. When I arrived at Service Reception I think my exact words were "The biggest bag of crap is outside parked in an MOT bay."