Now I don't like to boast. It's not in my nature. But I've been a good driver. Not flashy or fast, but safe. You know, reliable.
I'm what you might call a motoring natural. The minute I sat behind the wheel and reversed into those dustbins, I knew I'd finally found my niche in life. It was "Girl... go forth and motorway." I was meant to be out on the open road.
I came to driving a little late in life but my instructor said I had bags of energy and enthusiasm so it didn't matter. I also had bags of money which seemed to help.
I reckoned I was his best student. Well, you don't do 85 lessons without picking up a thing or two. He was a lovely man. Never shouted or raised his voice. Not once... not even with that business with the milk float. Just sat there rigid, staring.
I told him: "There's no use crying over spilt milkmen" but he didn't smile. Very serious man, he was. It was a shame when he had to retire like that. Nerves, they said. Well, it's a stressful job with long hours and I'm sure he must have had some hair-raising experiences. After all, not all his students could have been as safe as me.
I can remember the last thing he said to me. "You've got talent, Girl. A God-given gift. You can do things with a car that even the manufacturers hadn't thought of. One day you'll be famous." He never did explain exactly what he meant by that.
Well, I passed my test... after a couple of false starts. The first time I failed wasn't really my fault... the cyclist swerved in front of me. He even had the gall to say I shouldn't have been on the pavement in the first place!
The second time there was a mix-up about my emergency stop. The examiner was very good about it. Said broken noses were all part of the rough and tumble of driving tests.
The third time, it went like a dream. It was wonderful. I even got a mention on the radio! A traffic flash. I didn't know the police did that sort of thing. Gave out my registration number and everything. I thought that was nice of them.
All the other drivers seemed to know it was a special day for me. You know, it was great ... they all got out of my way and tooted their horns. Some of them even waved. I wish I could have heard what the taxi driver was mouthing at me. He looked very excited...
