A Life Singular - Part One

Chapter 2 - A Life Shattered

‘Here’s a car park.

If you can drive once around without hitting any other cars, you pass.’

‘Was that it?’ Kierney queried in amazement.

‘Were you driving before you got your licence too, Pap

á

?’

Coughing comically, and looking around to check no-one could overhear, Jeff answered. ‘Um, yes.

I bought a car when I was sixteen, but I didn’t drive it much.

Couldn’t afford the petrol.

It was still a good feeling to finally get a licence though.

Proof that I was a bona fide citizen, I guess.’

Kierney smiled.

‘That’s exactly how I feel too.

A passport doesn’t make you autonomous, because I’ve had one since before I could walk or talk.

At least with a driving licence, it proves that I’m somewhat responsible for my own actions.’

Her mum chuckled.

‘Listen to us!

We’re all so similar.

It’s amazing how being accountable is so much part of our ethos.

Other people shirk responsibility until they die.’

‘Viva apathy!’ Jeff toasted, just as their meals arrived at the table.

‘I hate the world but I can’t be bothered to change it, so I’ll just spend the rest of my life moaning.’

Parents and daughter swapped more driving stories over dinner, laughing and joking like the tight-knit family they were.

They made plans for Kierney to drive them all up to Junior’s farm in Narrandera for the Easter weekend, which would be the next big get-together.

‘You can bring someone, if you like,’ Lynn invited their daughter.

‘Are you still going out with Dylan?’

‘Yeah, technically we are,’ Kierney confirmed, ‘but I’d rather come on my own.

I want to enjoy being en famille before getting dragged into uni life.’

‘That’s great,’ her dad said, leaning over and kissing his daughter’s temple.

‘It’ll be good to be together in the wilderness for a few days, as an antidote to all the madness.

Jeez, we’re going to be busy, angel.

Shame Jetto’s not here.

But hey, Kiz...

Exactly what does going out with someone technically entail?’

Lynn smiled as she waited for the youngster to come up with a suitable response for her dad, knowing how alike their brains worked.

It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to embarrass the children these days, given their rapidly increasing levels of experience with the opposite sex.

‘You know...

We get cosy every now and again,’ the seventeen-year-old explained with a shy grin, ‘in a technical way, but then we do our own thing when we want to.’

Jeff shook his head.

‘That makes no sense at all, peque

ñita