Andrew Johnson stroked his beard deep in thought as Ellen Porter, declared that she wanted him to put her in for her driving test. He looked at her quizzically.
"Do you really think you are ready Ellen?" he asked with an edge of concern in his voice, in all his years of instructing he had rarely seen a more nervous pupil than nineteen year old Ellen.
"Yes I, I am sure I can do it Andrew." She stammered.
"I will put you in if you really want me to, after all it's your money but in my opinion I don't think you are ready yet."
"Please put me in for it." Ellen almost pleaded with him.
"OK if that is what you really want I will book you in." Andrew replied with a sigh and shook his head, he hated his pupils wasting their money and he really believed that would happen here.
A month later on the test day Ellen got up early showered and debated what to wear. Her girlfriends suggested a short skirt and a low cut top but she wasn't that type of girl. As the weather was still surprisingly warm for late October she opted for smart trousers and a smart top.
As they arrived at the centre Ellen exhaled loudly and nervously as Andrew went through the last minute reminders.
"Ellen remember your mirror drill." Was his last comment as they went in to meet the examiner after a brief handshake Andrew went to get a coffee as he watched the slender blonde girl meekly follow the examiner to the car being used in the test.
"Andrew another one up for a test then."
"Oh hi Pete, yeah against my better judgement this one, nervous as hell I'll eat my hat if she passes. Been trying to dissuade her from taking it. "
"Ha like that is it, my lad is too confident at times but I think he will be okay though."
About an hour later as Peter was running though his pupils failings Ellen's car pulled up and Andrew watched on amazed as she leapt about excitedly. 'How the hell did she manage that' he thought to himself shaking his head.
Passing her driving test only served to bring up another host of problems how on earth was she going to afford to tax, M.O.T, and insure the little run around that her brother had passed on to her.
"Okay Ellen I will get my mate Jack to do the M.O.T. for you but I can't afford to help you with anything else. After all I did give you the car." Mike said.
"Thanks Mike I don't know what I'd do without my big brother." Ellen smiled as she hugged him one problem out of the way onto the next.
A week later with the car declared roadworthy Ellen tried to set up a direct debit to pay the road tax monthly, but could not do so until the insurance issue was sorted.
She flicked through web site after website and price comparison sites desperately trying to find a deal she could afford. Cursing to herself as she realised insurance for a new teenage driver was a really costly business. Dejected she was about to give up when her last search came up with a site that boldly claimed the cheapest insurance premiums in the UK guaranteed!
Intrigued Ellen filled out the online form and waited as the site calculated the price. Oh my god she gasped out loud that is so amazing the price was only a quarter of what the other companies were charging. Without really reading the full document she hit accept and her insurance was sorted with that in place she tried to tax her car again this time the government site accepted her application.
A month later.
"If you let me down on this job there will be dire circumstances, I mean it." Her bosses terse tone on the phone left Kelly in no doubt what so ever that her job really was on the line this time.
"You will meet me at the railway station at six thirty am sharp! I will see you Monday morning." He barked at her down the phone.
When the call ended Kelly rang her husband "Mark when, do you get home from sea?"
"Hi babe, not until Wednesday at the earliest. The weather has trapped us here in Cherbourg."
"Oh, god I have to go to London for work and I have no one to look after the kids on Monday morning and get them to school."
"Sorry babe I can't do anything about the weather. Can't you ask Ellen to take them."
"I'll have to I don't have anyone else."
Ellen checked her mobile during her break and saw the missed calls and a message from her elder sister and thought she had better give her a call.
"Ellen you know how much you love me." Was the pleading greeting.
"Hi Kelly what's the problem?" Ellen almost sighed into her handset.
"I need a really big favour could you sort the kids some breakfast and take them to school for me on Monday. I have a business trip I can't get out of and Mark's out at sea." Adding "Mark's mum will have them after school it's just the morning."
The thought of looking after her brat of a nephew filled her with dread as Kelly spelled out her problem. "If I can't go I'll lose my job for sure Ellen please do it for me, I'll make it up to you."
Reluctantly Ellen agreed "What time do you need me?"
"Oh Ellen you're a life saver I will need you at five am. But you can come up for tea on Sunday and stay the night if it's going to be easier."
Ellen agreed to the idea and Kelly's problem was solved.
Monday morning soon came around and Kelly shot out of her house like a bullet from a gun. Ellen sorted herself out first then woke the kids up. Surprisingly the kids were well behaved at breakfast they even collected their school bags without any bother.
Stepping out to her car Ellen shivered the winter had well and truly arrived the sky full of dark grey clouds that were spitting stinging icy rain driven in by the strong easterly wind.
She quickly ushered her niece and nephew into the back of her car made sure they had their belts on then climbed in herself for the short drive to the school.
As they approached the school the kids started bickering in the back seat. With the weather conditions testing even the most experienced driver Ellen really needed to concentrate on what she was doing. The bickering siblings started pinching each other and they blatantly ignored Ellen's shouts of cut it out.
"Ouch he pulled my hair!" the seven year old screamed just as Ellen slowed the car down, hitting the brake a little too hard causing the car to slide on the icy road and as she Instinctively turned her head towards the screaming girl BANG the car lurched as a low speed collision brought it to a halt.
"Ha, ha Ellen's had a crash." The kids yelled almost in unison as they released their seatbelts, jumped out of the car laughing and scarpered for the school gates.
"Miss, Miss are you okay?" A man's concerned voice said as he opened her door brought Ellen back to her senses.
"Yeah I, I think so." she replied in a daze.
"Well that's ok then no one hurt."
As he said that she raised her gaze through her windscreen and saw to her dismay she had only gone straight into a vintage Rolls Royce!
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry." She started to babble as she saw the damage to the Rolls Royce's door.
"Well Miss, don't you fret too much it's for little prangs like this is what we have insurance for, my boss will soon fix this." The kindly chap declared.
After exchanging details she drove off home still shaking in disbelief at what had just occurred.
Mike stood staring out of the window waiting for his girlfriend clutching a cup of coffee when he saw Ellen's car pull into the drive.
