Chapter 5: A drive in a car

Chapter 5: A drive in a car

After three long months at boarding school, it was time for me to go home for the Christmas holidays. How wonderful to be away from school!

While I was away at St Peter’s, my family bought a car. I was very happy to be home with my family, and I was also excited about the car! In 1925, anyone could drive a car. You did not need to learn a lot. My very old half-sister was twenty-one years old. She had two thirty-minute lessons, and then she could drive us in our car.

That day, seven of us sat in the car. In the car were my very old half-sister, my half-brother (eighteen years old), my sister (twelve years old), my mother (forty years old), two small sisters (eight and five years old) and me (nine years old). We were very excited.

“How fast will it go?” we asked our very old half-sister. “Will it go at fifty miles an hour?”

“It can go at sixty miles an hour!” she answered.

“Oh, let’s make it go at sixty!” we shouted.

“We will go faster than that,” she said.

My very old half-sister started the car, and we drove slowly through the village. People in the street were excited to see our car.

After five minutes, we left the village.

“You see! I can do it!” our very old half-sister said.

“Go faster!” we shouted. “We’re only going at fifteen miles an hour!”

My half-sister began to make the car go at about thirty-five miles an hour. Then we came to a corner in the road.

“Help!” she shouted.

The car went into the side of the road. There was broken glass everywhere. My family were all OK, but I was badly hurt. My nose was nearly cut from my face.

My very old half-sister drove the broken car to the doctor very slowly, at about four miles an hour.

“Wow!” said the doctor. “Look at his nose!”

“It hurts,” I cried.

“Please help him!” said my mother.

“Don’t worry,” said the doctor. “He will keep his nose.”

An hour later, the doctor came to our house. I lay on a table, and someone put something white from a bottle on my face. It smelled very strong.

I tried to stand, but strong hands held me down on the table.

“Good boy,” said the doctor. “Close your eyes and sleep.”

After eight hours, I woke up, and my nose was back in its place. My mother gave me a coin. British coins always have a picture of the king or queen on them. In those days, the king was George V.

“Well done. This is for you,” she said.