I paced around my living room, wondering whether my friend was ever going to show up. We’d agreed to hang out at 3:00 pm. I looked at the clock – 5:30 pm. Almost dinner time. I had been hoping to order a couple of pizzas for us, but by then I wasn’t even sure if she’d show up, and I certainly wasn’t going to eat two pizzas on my own. Sarah wasn’t answering her phone. Had something gone wrong? What if she’d been in an accident on the way?
Another ten minutes passed, and finally, I heard the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway. It sounded like it was in terrible condition, chugging to a stop, screeching as Sarah turned the engine off.
“Sorry,” she said as she stepped out of the beaten-up vehicle. “Car trouble.”
“I can tell.” I shook my head and gave my childhood best friend a long hug. “You’re going to take that thing to a mechanic, right? Sounds like it needs a serious service.”
Sarah shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine. This car hasn’t let me down yet.”
As I pulled back from the embrace, I tried not to look too mortified by what she’d said. “Sarah, you just said you’d had car trouble. You can’t keep driving that thing without having a professional look it over. Stay here tonight, and then tomorrow we’ll get it to a mechanic. I know a good one around here – best mechanic Ringwood has to offer.”
Sarah pursed her lips, looking sceptical. “Bess, I’m sure it will be fine. It’s only two years old.”
“Two years old?” I stammered. “It looks like it’s from the eighties! Have you at least been keeping up to date with your log book services? The car mechanic offering log book service near Ringwood should be able to get it done.”
“I’m supposed to get a log book service?” Sarah asked, looking back at the car.
“Yes! At least every six months while the car is new. Otherwise, you’ll void the warranty.”
“Oh,” Sarah said, crossing her arms. “Well, I haven’t been doing that.”