The man called me stupid.
He shouted, 'how could you have been so stupid!'
I had bumped it. I had bumped our brand new electric car.
The tears flowed, hot and shameful.
A ridiculous mistake on my part. The first accident I'd had in over twenty years. A school girl error. Very, very humiliating. We were going to the garden centre, my head full of wintry shrubs and wood chip, and I forgot to look behind. I reversed out of the driveway and backed into his stationary car parked on the other side of the road. That awful, painful moment when I realised what I'd done.
'Don't worry Mummy, it was only an accident, it can be fixed,' she reassured from the back seat.
What was Younger Dad going to say? Don't scratch the car he'd reminded over and over. Now there were lacerations on the back bumper the depth of a tiger's claw. My lovely, super-duper new car. My space ship. My sonic blue Nissan Leaf. The other car came off worse, a dent the size of an elephant's foot; he was beside himself, 'what were you thinking? Just what were you thinking?'
Oh how I had lusted after a Fiat 500, such a feminine bubble of a car, with its delicious and diverse palette; pearl white, coffee, mint, powder blue... a writer's car; but Younger Dad had insisted I test drive an electric vehicle, and of course he was right; how could I resist the on/off button, the way the car glided on air, the silence as I drove up a hill. This was the speedy milk float of the future. A zero emission rocket.
I was barely in the honeymoon phase, only a week in, when the accident happened; still purging the floor mats of fluff and leaf, wiping away any unsightly mark on the dash board with a tongue-soaked index, driving it to the postbox, around the block for a pint of milk, intoxicated by the smell of brand new upholstery. The man bitterly complained he was going on holiday the next day. I feared a morning among perennials was over...
When was the last time you bumped your car?
NOOOOOOO! Are you ok? I hate scratching the car. And I have done it so many times. Mine is all scratched-up now :( and pretty much all of them were done by me. I am sure that Mr B is responsible for some of them, but he denies, denies, denies… Anyway, most cars in Spain seem to have a dent or two so my right-hand-drive fits right in.
ReplyDeleteI'm okay.... it was really pants at the time though. Could have done without that man shouting at me. If I lived in Spain it would have been a rite of passage!
DeleteHope you're OK?! In the big scheme of things this won't matter one little bit just as soon as your little blue car and the neighbour's car get fixed. The last time I had a minor mishap in mine it wasn't my fault. It was my little sister who put it all into perspective when she said... "I'm so glad it's the car that's damaged & not you," before bursting into tears. And obviously, she was right.
ReplyDeleteI'm fine, thank you. It wasn't an enormous bump but such an annoyance at the time. I like what your sister said, so very true - better the car than you or I!
DeleteOh no. I am so sorry - you must have been so excited and I have no doubt whatsoever it was his fault ;) xxxx
ReplyDeleteIt's alright now.... and I was so excited having my new car BUT it was totally my fault LOL :o) X.
DeleteOh no! Forget the what the idiot said, are you okay? That's the main thing. I've been bumped (well, crashed in to) but never bumped in to anyone else. I imagine it's an awful thing to do but accidents happen, my dear. Hope all is well x
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm okay - thank you for asking.... and everything has been fixed now; won't be making that mistake again! X
DeleteOh I do feel for you. I bumped my new car a couple of months ago - it had so many sensors on it, beeping when I got too close to things, that I got confused putting it in the garage. I readjusted too many times, thinking it was too near the left, then the right, then crunched it on the right hand side, big dint in I it - insurance job. Felt so upset as the car was new and I had gone in and out of my garage in other cars for over 20 years. But at least no-one else was involved and that's why I feel your pain - your neighbour reacted so unkindly, instead of being understanding.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's what happened to me.... I was trying to look behind me and look at the rear camera and got totally confused and ended up in the rear of that car. The neighbour wasn't very kind at all but I guess it was a gut reaction. Our stories sound so similar! :o)
DeleteHorrible! Poor you, and I know you can't help playing it over and over in your head. It's the reaction of the other driver that's upsetting, and stays with you - bumps can be fixed. I'm on the road so much now, I think I'm becoming a really anxious driver, which I don't like! I had a wing mirror taken off by a speeding white van last week :( x
ReplyDeleteNo, it wasn't very pleasant and it wasn't very nice being shouted at. It's all been fixed now but I'm driving extra carefully! How annoying having your wing mirror taken off! X
DeleteOh no, I feel your pain I really do. And how dare he call you stupid?! Although I'm sure it was a little annoying for him.... but your little A had the more grown up attitude about it! Your bumper bump will be fixed in no time and you'll be back enjoying your new car before you know it!
ReplyDeleteMy last 'bump' was only a few years ago when I was driving our then 2 or 3 y/o car as I was crawling up a busy narrow street in a bustling small town centre.... and I think the man standing on the little rising platform at the back of the truck got the biggest fright when I tipped him!! I got a long deep scrape on our car for my troubles...xx
It wasn't a very nice thing to say but I guess it was a knee jerk reaction. Little A was brilliant - such a wonderful support. The car has been fixed now but since then I went and scratched the front - ha ha... I hope when you bumped your car the other man wasn't horrid to you - I am assuming you got your car fixed? X
DeleteOh nooooo.... I completely know how that feels after my writing off my car incident earlier this year. Although not 100% my fault, it was still mortifying. Big hug. Like my son said at the time, it's only a car Mummy xx
ReplyDeleteI remember when you had your accident: I remember it being a pretty bad one too! I just felt so mortified. I am usually very conscientious. At least our children put things into perspective for us! X
DeleteSo annoying. We've all done it though... When I was a sales rep I was on a 'work with' with my boss one day. At the start of the morning I drove into the back of a car on a roundabout and then later the same day, (with him still in the car) I reversed into a bread lorry! x
ReplyDeleteHope you're enjoying your new car now. x
You are kidding me? Two bumps in one day with your boss in the car..... Now that's what I call thoroughly bad luck! ... now it's all fixed again, I'm loving the new car. X
DeleteOh dear! I feel your pain :( This is my worst fear and I'm about 100% that I'll do this if I drove. I don't, I grew up taking cabs to wherever I needed and no one in their right minds drove, so I think my boat has sailed-I totally lack the raw materials to start now. I hope that this has been sorted out for you, Sarah, I can only imagine the disappointment and the self berating. It's inevitable I think, like a burn or cut in the kitchen - don't be too hard on yourself! :) Listen to that little girl's voice filled with wisdom, that's exactly what this is - an accident that can be fixed. x
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't very nice at the time but it's all been sorted out now - I was so annoyed with myself though. Typical that it was a brand new car! And Little A was the voice of reason and calm - don't worry, it'll be all right, and it was! X
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