Marjory's Car | worksoffiction

Marjory’s Car

An extract from 'Where there's a Will', a darkly humorous novel set in 1952

As they drew into Bletchley, the carriages jostled and bumped against each other as the train juddered and clanked to a halt. Daphne and Kitty clambered down onto the platform and were met just outside the station by Kitty’s friend, Marjory. She embraced Kitty and then opened the boot of her new black Ford Popular. With a warm and welcoming smile, Marjory held out her hand to Daphne. Daphne put her suitcase into the boot and noticed the 'L' plate as she closed the lid. She tucked her dog, Peggy, under her arm and shook Marjory’s hand. Marjory pulled Daphne closer to her and hugged her tightly.

‘You poor thing.’ Marjory said. ‘Kitty’s told me all about you. You’ve been through such a lot. Let’s get you somewhere safe.’

Marjory clambered onto a cushion on the driver’s seat and Kitty sat next to her in the front passenger seat. Daphne and her dog had the back seat all to themselves. Marjory wriggled her bottom from side to side on a pile of cushions, adjusted the mirror, twice, shook the gear lever several times from left to right and then started the engine. She revved the engine until it was ready for take-off, and after a few seconds forced the car into first gear. They lurched forward as she took her foot off the clutch too soon.

‘Sorry about that,’ Marjory shouted above the sound of the engine. ‘Only picked the car up a few days ago. Haven’t quite got the hang of things yet.’

As they reached the exit from the station car park, Marjory looked neither left nor right but pulled out straight in front of a green single-decker bus. Oblivious to the hooting, she careered off down the unlit road, her hands gripping the steering wheel and her nose almost pressed against the windscreen. Kitty grabbed hold of the door handle and put her hand on the dashboard for safety.

‘I didn’t know you could drive.’ Kitty said.

‘I’m still learning, dear.’ Marjory called back, staring intently at the road. ‘I’ve got my driving test in a few weeks, so I’m trying to get as much practice as I can.’ The aptly named Marjory see-sawed at the steering wheel as she wove her way from one side of the road to the other.

‘Can either of you two drive?’ she shouted. ‘Just in case we get stopped.’ Kitty shook her head and gripped the door handle tighter. Daphne just closed her eyes.

‘Not too far to go.' Marjory announced to the windscreen. 'Anyway, there’s rarely any bobbies around at this time of night up here, and even if there are, they’ll be on bicycles.’ She glanced in the mirror and grinned at the terrified Daphne.

Marjory felt for the gear stick and eventually crunched the resisting lever into second gear via a brief, but thankfully unsuccessful excursion into reverse. Growing in misplaced confidence she accelerated.

‘And they’ll have to catch me first.’ she added with a nervous laugh.

Despite the screaming protests from the engine, they stayed in second gear for the remainder of their short journey. Marjory was content with her success in having beaten the gearbox into submission once and didn’t want to tempt providence with another attempt. After a couple of miles, and without reducing speed, Marjory turned the steering wheel hard to the right and swung the car across the road into a narrow lane, her body also leaning to the right as if to encourage the car to do the same.

‘Home, sweet home.’ she said, as her passengers let out a sigh of relief. Marjory puffed out her cheeks in triumph. The car bumped over the kerb, juddered to a halt on the grass verge in front of her house and the engine stalled.

‘Oops,’ Marjory muttered to herself as she shifted the gear lever into neutral and with both hands pulled up the handbrake until it was as tight as a vice.

Marjory’s husband, Eric, came out to greet them. He looked around the car, grinned at his wife, and then opened the rear door for Daphne.

‘Still in one piece then?’ he laughed as Daphne clambered out, and Peggy followed. ‘Let’s get you indoors.’ ......