What Is The Price Of Life? Part One.

Today I started of feeling sad, I was a bit sad yesterday too.

I was SO pleased with my fabulous new car. I wrote about it in, “Before they call, I will answer, while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

I compared my new car with my old trusted seven-seater car. My old car didn’t have a radio, as the one that I had fitted in the store, and I had to take the front off, each time I arrived home, eventually didn’t work. I had to use my mobile to listen to Premier Christian Praise, on my iPhone, not quite the same thing. My new car, had a fantastic, radio and awesome speakers.

My new car was a lot smaller than my old large car. I was SO pleased with it. Having paid only £350 just before Christ mas, with the understanding that before the end of January 2025, it would take £200, for it to be road worthy, and that the MOT would make it good for the year. I love a bargain! To buy a car, for £350 and then the following month to pay £200 I felt truly blessed. I was very happy.

I had bought my new car, which was older than my old car, the fabulous family run garage company, when they did the MOT on my seven-seater car, the oil and water, they would do, and I didn’t have to ever lift that bonnet! As I don’t put water nor oil in it, I work a minute from home, and didn’t travel far in a year. Whenever I needed air in my tyres, I simply turned up and it is done straight away free. They know me, my car, and the car that they sold me, they are good honest people. The MOT is this Tue, 09.15am, for the new car.

One of the things I am proud of is that I have never ran out of petrol! My seven-seater car never broke down, it started first time every time. But sadly, it failed the MOT, the amount of welding it needed, meant it won and I lost!

When I was low on petrol, it didn’t mean I had to fill up, straight away, it meant for such a big car, I had about 80 miles worth of petrol left, so there was no rush.

A few days ago, something came up on my new car that I needed to top up water. From then, it came up each time I started the engine. I carried on driving, dropping off my son at work then going to my Mums.

I thought I saw steam coming from the bonnet, but it could have been my imagination, while stuck in traffic, it was cold outside.

Yesterday, as I was on my way to Mums, just 2 minutes away I was horrified to see lots of steam or smoke pouring out from my bonnet!!! Everyone could see it, I was scared, and prayed that I would not break down on the street, I just wanted to get to the safety of my Mums. I arrived and parked in the small car park.

Shaken, I rang my brother William, I said, “I don’t know how to open the bonnet.” It reminded me of the time at work about 10 years ago, with the mini bus at work, that each week we had to do the full safety checks on the mini bus, and one day it was myself and Sarah, neither of us, knew how to open the bonnet! We looked everywhere, and had to give up, on the under the bonnet checks! Sarah who was unable to drive the mini bus, because she only drove an automatic car. We laughed about it later, but at the time, it was not funny. It was winter and a freezing cold day.

William, looked on line, and sent me a short video, it was great, so I opened the bonnet, then I sent a short video to William of the buttons and knobs under the bonnet, which one was for the water? I decided to google it myself. It was amazing, SO crystal clear! With confidence I put water in the water tank. I then went back to Mums flat.

Then 10pm last night I left Mums to make my way home, many miles away, but suddenly to my horror, the smoke and steam was still there and the burning smell, I was frightened, and quickly went to the petrol station nearby, the car was still cold, I opened up the bonnet and poured in two bottles of water, that I had in my car from the pack of water that I had bought the day before. I turned the car on, the steam was still there!! I decided it was time to call my breakdown cover. He asked, “Are you in a safe place?” I replied, “Yes.” I told him why I needed help. After 30 minutes the staff from the petrol station, came up to me and asked, “Are you OK?” I explained, then he told me, “You need to move from this spot as the petrol lorry needs to drive to here, go to section outside of the petrol station, by the vacuum.” I did what he asked. I had drunk two of my J2O’s just before I left Mum, usually I would just have one a day, but I had other nice drinks that I had bought for the long weekend that I was with Mum this week; it was my turn.

I wasn’t now under the shelter of the petrol station, the rain was pelting down, next to me, was a man power washing his car in the rain! I thought I had seen it all. Then at 11pm all the lights went off and the staff came up to me, and said, “We are going home now,” I said, “I thought you were open 24 hours?” He said, “No, we suggest you go over there to the superstores car park, the shop there is also closed now.” I replied, “OK.” I drove the short distance to the large car park, there were about 15 cars scattered about. Now it was lonely and scarry. I didn’t feel safe. I knew where the lock button is on my new car. I did my Italian, and Words with Friends. It was now cold. I rang the break down cover and said, “I now don’t feel safe, (I was not yet given a time frame of when they would come to me) it was then he said, the estimated time to come to you is, four hours,” I said, “FOUR hours?”  He said, “Yes, you can either stay there, or go home and we will contact you tomorrow morning with a slot time.” I said, “I will stay here.”

My doors were still unlocked, as I from time to time, I would check in all my mirrors to make sure there was no one near my car. There was no one, I was completely alone! Now I wanted the loo, for I should have been home hours ago. I did start to feel a little sorry for myself. Was glad that my phone was fully charged. I could not stay there for four hours; I did feel let down by the break down cover Company. I am in my 60’s, a woman, alone, and feeling very vulnerable. I kept my family up to date on WhatsApp group chat. I then text Meghan and said, “Can you book an Uber to come and get me, I will give you the money back?” She replied, “I will come and get you.” I replied, “OK, thank you.” She said, “I was in bed, I will just get dressed.” I said, “Will you know exactly where I am?” She replied, “Yes, I have pin pointed you.” I said, “OK.” Wherever we are in the world, we can always know where each other is, with Find My Friends.

I then moved my car, to outside the superstore, and rang the breakdown cover to let them know, “I am going home, my daughter is coming to get me,” She said, “OK, we will contact you tomorrow between 08.00am to 12pm for a patrol to come to you.” I said, “OK, thank you.”

I looked at the map of where my daughter was, and could see her journey to me, it was many many miles away.

I was happy to be going home, but what would tomorrow hold?