Drive Time Blues
I have the use of a car at the moment. Usually, this would make life much easier. Cars in Windhoek are very, very useful.
Unfortunately this car has somewhat of a glitch, in that it is incredibly, ridiculously difficult to get it into first gear. You think you’ve got it, you take your foot off the clutch, and start to move up the driveway/into the road to turn right/across the busy intersection/away from the traffic lights, and the car sputters and dies, because once again, you’ve slipped it into third. You’re then stuck in the middle of the road, with taxi drivers bearing down on you, and 4×4 monster trucks about to shunt you into the middle of next week, while you struggle with the fucking gear stick until your arm is numb.
I’m in an emotionally fragile state right now, and so my mornings this week have consisted of fighting noisily and helplessly with an intransigent vehicle, and then collapsing in angry, desperate tears onto the steering wheel.
I should just cycle, really.