Martyn Hooper

Kim’s mother was getting a new car.  And as Kim used to borrow her mother’s car to get to work she was quite excited when her mother told her she was getting a new car.

“It’s going to be a Nissan Micra – the car that I learned to drive in” she told Miranda.

“That’ll be great” commented Miranda.  I said nothing.

After about a week of anticipation Kim arrived one morning having driven the new car into work.  She was in quite a huff.

“It’s not new – it’s a used car.  I was expecting a new car but it’s not – it’s old.  It’s an old car not brand new”

Miranda replied as positively as she could to Kim’s disappointment.

“Oh – an old car!  Does it have a Choke?”

“Does it have a what?”

“A Choke.”

“What’s one of those?”

“Oh I don’t know – but I know that old cars have them.”

“No – I don’t think it does have one of those.”

I suddenly felt very old.