Last Saturday, a little before eight in the evening, I turned off a main road into a housing estate. The air was heavy with late summer torpor although it was cool inside the Cadillac six-passenger. My first job was to find the number of the house from which I was to collect my customers for the night.
As I rounded the corner a group of three girls waved me down. They were, I don't know, about nine years old. In bathing costumes and tee-shirts, they were clearly free to roam the neighbourhood. In this age of over-protective parents, it was heartening to see kids playing free, learning like they are supposed to, by being in the (reasonably controlled) local world.
I stopped and lowered the window.
Is there anyone famous on board? they asked, breathless with imagination.
Well, no. I'm just on the way to pick up my customers, I answered, playing it straight.
Are they famous?
Everyone I drive around thinks they're famous, I said.
I put the beast in Park and showed them the interior of the limo.
The house was a quarter of a mile away, and they followed me there, running along the footpath. I introduced myself to the gentleman who met me in the driveway, as he explained that the night was a surprise birthday gift for his wife and two of her friends. (Wouldn't it have been nice had The Boss told me this beforehand?)
The girls hung around while I waited, idling on the street. We chatted. I told them the deal, that the famous lady about to come out of the house was celebrating her birthday. And you know what they did? When she emerged, the neighbourhood smurfs sang her 'Happy Birthday'.
I don't think I've stopped smiling yet.
Buick photo from here [link]
3 comments:
That is brilliant! There is hope for he kiddie-winks yet :)
That's a gem of a story.
And another great classic car.
Girl! Yes, the whole thing took me by surprise, not least the idea that the kids would talk to a stranger and also run along a footpath and then take the initiative to sing to someone else. Reminded me of how much fun childhood can be :-)
Thanks Ken. I note, now I'm in the groove of looking at older cars, just how much character cars from earlier decades have. Shows you how similar they all look today.
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