Jack taught me how to do it

 

It's funny how sometimes your mind thinks back to an individual too far in your past whom you'd forgotten many years ago.

Out of the blue, Jack came to mind. I knew him when I was 19; he was two years older and old enough to be my father. He knew it all and was eager to teach me.

At the time I was taking driving lessons. He suggested that I needed practice driving in-between driving lessons and offered to take me in his car.

He had an old car with the words Just Married still painted on the back. He tried to clean it but the painted words became part of the car and scraping them off would damage the original paintwork. The car was held together by rust.

He said we did not need an "L" plate to indicate I was a learner because this would draw attention to the car. It was parked in his garage.

He explained that the driver's chair slides backwards and forwards because the mechanism to hold it in place was broken. If I sat in a particular position my backside would stop the seat from moving.

He also said that to change gears you don't put your foot down on that pedal and change. Instead, you put your foot on the pedal, move the gear lever from 1 to neutral, release your foot, step on the pedal again, then move the gear stick to 2. You do the same thing when you change from 2 to 3; or when you go down from a higher gear to a lower one.

He told me not to worry if the steering wheel is a bit loose. I just have to turn it round more than usual.

And when I need the horn I have to tap it several times because it does not always work; and sometimes it sticks to a continuous hooting sound.

Also to pump the brakes several times for it to work.

And the seat belt is a bit loose but it works if you wind it round the gear stick.

And not to worry about the crack in the windscreen - just look "through" it.

I declined any lessons with him. He told me he and his girl had enjoyed many rides in that car.