You know how I'm always going on about goals? Well, today I achieved one of my BIG goals for 2016 - I bought a car!!!! My car history is quite a story.
My late dad bought me my first car, a Ford Anglia station wagon, while I was still at teacher training college. I must've been 20 years old. I had an accident with it, and it was a write-off (front smash). For the record, another driver ignored a Stop street, and drove right across my path, in Mill Street, Gardens, near the Mount Nelson Hotel. This car's name was Prudence.
Dad also bought me my second car, a Morris 1100. I called it Dweezle. I'm not sure how many years I had it, but I know I paid him back for it - the princely sum of R400. I think I had it for quite a few years, I remember having it when I taught at my first school, Ottery Road Methodist Primary. I can't even remember how that car came to an end. I do remember it was stolen from outside my house, and I became aware of it only when the police called me to say they'd found it! It seems the lack of petrol meant the thieves couldn't get very far. By the time I got to the police station, quite a few things had been stolen, including the battery and the radiator. I suppose that's when I moved on to car no.3.
My third car was a yellow Toyota Corolla, the box shape. She was called Daisy. I used to sing at Quay Four, a restaurant at the V & A Waterfront, every Sunday afternoon. One evening, after my gig, I went to another place in the Waterfront with a friend. When we parted ways, I couldn't find my car. This was long ago, around 1993, before the parking areas were so structured. Full of petrol for the first time, my car had been stolen.
My next car was also a Toyota, but the next shape, more streamlined. It was a metallic green, and I don't think it had a name. It met its demise in a 5-car accident on Wynberg Hill, one morning. Front smash, engine damaged, insurance paid out, so I put a little extra with it, and bought my next car with a once-off cash payment.
Bought in March 1998, my VW Jetta CLX, 1800, was the coolest car I'd owned. I named her Gertrude, but we ended up calling her Gertie. Her windows were slightly tinted, she had a solid body, and I loved the huge boot space. We were together for 16 years, and she shared my life during many periods of ups and downs. Unfortunately, there'd been times when, for various reasons, I was not able to keep my hand on her, and things started going wrong. By the time I decided to sell her, she'd become synonymous with expense (because of constant repairs) and unreliability. I parked her in the backyard, having decided never to drive her again, in October 2013, and eventually sold her in June 2014.
For a few years, I'd been working towards my goal of becoming debt-free, in order to afford car installments. I knew I wanted a modern, reliable car, and I knew I'd have to go the bank route. About three weeks ago, I decided it was time to prioritise getting a car.
And today I collected my car. (Actually, yesterday - I see it's after midnight). I bought a Polo Vivo sedan, and I'm smitten! I need to give her a name. She's a champagne colour, so I was thinking of Bubbly, but I think she needs a woman's name. A strong, sexy name. I'm leaning towards 'Sofia'.
