Chapter 9

In the morning, I was going to take the vantage for it’s MOT. The evening before, Ryan and I took the car for a drive, to make sure everything was ok. I stayed longer, to polish the chrome parts on the car. Getting the Autosol Chrome Polish, I started work on the front, while Lisa worked on the back of the car, that way we could finish quicker.

Finishing just before midnight, we locked everything up and started making our way back to my place. From the day Lisa came back, she has been staying with me at my apartment.

Entering the Inn the last few customers were getting ready to leave. Barbara was collecting the glasses from the tables, Lisa took an empty tray to help her. That gave Patsy a chance to talk with me as she didn’t have the opportunity too since Lisa came back.

“Is everything ok now?”

I just nodded my head up and down to say yes.

Getting four glasses, she filled them up with orange juice, calling out to Lisa and Barbara. “Girls come over, to have a drink.” All four of us stood there in a circle with a glass of orange juice in our hands we clinked glasses. “Cheers.”

Looking at Patsy, I said. “Wait a minute, shouldn’t you be drinking JD.” With a smile, she brought her glass up to her mouth, winking before she started to drink her orange juice.

Next day we arrived very early at Ryans house, walking into the kitchen, we found him in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

“Uncle you should have waited, I would have prepared all that,” Lisa said.

“Don’t worry honey. I was up at the crack of dawn anyway.”

After breakfast, Lisa and I cleaned up, while her uncle went upstairs. When he returned, I saw on his face that something was wrong. He walked into the garage, ranged around the car, lightly kicking the tyres, like he was inspecting them.

“Is everything ok Ryan?” I said.

“Steve I wanted to tell you something. You’ve done a great job on the car. It looks and sounds like when my son first bought it. You’ve spent hours to bring it to this condition, and I know how much you want to take it for it’s MOT. But please understand me this car was a bond between my son and me.” Before he could say anything else, I stopped him.

“Ryan I understand, I was waiting for you to say to me, you will be taking it for its test. Tell you the truth I am relieved. I was scared of driving it.”

On his way to Welwyn Garden City, Lisa and I tagged along with him. Lisa insisted that I needed a new wardrobe. Dropping us off at The Howard Centre, as he slowly drove off, Lisa took my arm in hers tight as we both watched the car. “Thank you for making my uncle smile again,” she said as she put her head on my shoulder.

For two hours it was from one shop to another. By midday, we were walking down the high street with a handful of bags in either hand. Walking past Caffè Nero, a group of suits were sitting outside enjoying their beverages, while throwing comments at every female who walked by. Suddenly one of them called out loud so the others could hear. “Wow look at those set of wheels!” That got everyone’s attention, including us.

It was Ryan just cruising along with an expression on his face like he didn’t have a care in the world. Suddenly one of the suits shouted at us. “Sorry, you two, can you move out of the way, your blocking my view.” That is when Lisa’s uncle noticed us. Parking the car, he casually climbed out of the driver’s seat, went to the back, opening the boot, we both strolled up to the car, throwing the bags in the back. After Ryan had handed me the key, he opened the passenger door for Lisa to climb in the back seat. Sitting on the passenger side while I walked to the driver’s side. I didn’t see them, but Lisa told me after I drove off, the suits just sat there with open mouths staring.

Driving back to Lemsford, I didn’t feel too comfortable. I guess a car with this kind of power needs some getting used too. Parking the car in the garage, I switched off the engine while I took a deep breath. Ryan noticed this, he said. “You’ll get used to it.”

Back in the house, Lisa was preparing lunch while Ryan and I were going through the paperwork of the car. “The emissions was excellent, while the BHP was higher than it should be. It was due to the manifold you changed. I can’t remember us ordering a new manifold for the car?” He said.

“I found it online, it was cheap, so I bought it, if you want me to take it off I’ll remove it in the morning?”

“I don’t want you to remove it, Steve. Just tell me how much it was so I could give you the money, and don’t say it was cheap because I know that is an expensive part.”

“Consider it a gift from me,” I replied.

After lunch, all three of us went to the cemetery were Ryans son was buried. Lisa and I cleaned the flower bed from any weeds growing, while Ryan cleaned the tombstone. After finishing, we went and sat in the car, leaving Ryan to be alone with his son for a while. On the way back to the house, we were all quiet in the car for a while.

Ryan broke the silence by saying. “I think Jame’s would have liked you.”