Adventures in a Rover 114 Part IV

Rule No 1: Do not annoy the driver.
Rule No 2: See Rule No 1.

Well, that was fun that ... but better was yet to come.

My swimming companion was a little worried about the car having a problem because we had planned to go to another festival as stewards and we were due to set off on the last Friday in July. She asked whether the car would be fixed and I said I should think it would be but perhaps she might want to check coach and train prices and think about it.

Now it's a long time since I had a Rover and the repair person at my usual garage was off on holiday at the end of the week and had no time to fit the job in. Neighbours recommended another garage so I went down there. They quoted me for the job but said the part would take four working days to get to them, so I booked it in with them to have the water pipe replaced on the Wednesday two days before our departure date.

I let my swimming companion know there would be a delay and that the car would not be in the garage for repair until two days before our departure date. Again she sought reassurance and again I said it was up to her and that she might want to check coach and train journeys and availability. She declined to do that.

Naturally enough, things are never plain sailing. I rang the garage on the Wednesday to be told there had been an error in the order and the part had not arrived. They would reorder but the earliest they could guarantee part arrival was Friday afternoon.

I informed my swimming companion of the delay and that the car would be in the garage by Friday at the earliest but I could not guarantee that it woud be ready to go on Friday at all. Again the topic of her getting a coach or train was discussed. She again declined that option.

Thursday evening I got a text from her and I didn't bother to reply to it. I should have done really because she was seeking reassurance that all would be well. I could have taken the opportunity to make it absolutely plain to her that I couldn't give her the reassurance she sought. At that time I had no idea whether the part would turn up on Friday let alone whether the car would be fixed. There was no reassurance to be had for either of us.

She texted me a number of times on the Friday and I said I would let her know progress, if there was any, as and when it happened.

I started to get very annoyed with her. It wasn't until her sixth text that she actually remembered I existed at all or that I might be feeling some stress over the subject - most of which was being generated by her texts!

Finally the part arrived late Friday afternoon and the car was repaired. I ran around that evening, paying rent to my landlord and getting some tins of food in so that I had something to eat at the festival. I popped round to the landlord's and dropped off the rent and had a good chat, got home about 10.30 pm with a chinese and did some work.

I texted my swimming companion to ask her to consider us running about 24 hours over. I rang her at one point and said I would have everything packed and be round to her about 3pm.

I then got an earful of demands and complaints about the car. So I told her she could get the coach and that I wasn't going. I wasn't prepared to spend five minutes in a car, any car, with her let alone four hours travelling on motorways.

I had simply had enough.

I'm not overly proud of my behaviour ; I'd let things ride until she'd annoyed me enough for me to lose my temper and then lost it right at her - very bad people management; damaged my relationship with her and stayed at home instead of going to a festival, camping out and generally having a good time.

I hope she got there ok.