Friday
The children are still at home? It’s eight’o’clock, isn’t it? The school assembly starts in thirty minutes, right? Yes, yes, yes...the school bus was early and we were not late, says the nine year old boy and the three and a half year old girl shakes her head in agreement. The Innova is great for school runs, I realise, and the kids are fiddling with the air-con vents. They urge me to take the long route via the chocolate shop and I disagree. Ah, the pleasure of being a parent! On the way we pick up one of their friends and fellow parents. ‘Nice vehicle’, notes one. I notice that he didn’t say car or van. Reached home early that evening and punished the children by leaving them with the baby-sitter as I took my wife out for a movie. Boring movie notwithstanding, it was a nice drive back home with the music system responding to clear FM signals. Wife urges me to take the long route via the ice-cream shop. I agree. Ah, the joys of being a husband!
Saturday
Denim shirt, denim trousers and matching shoes – weekend. The Innova is in a cheerful mood too, or so I feel. Traffic is sparse and I am zipping along as if I have been driving the Innova for a long, long time. Almost a week behind the wheel and I have no cribs. Handling is neutral at
most speeds and ride quality is better than most cars. Speed breakers and potholes are smothered by the Innova underpinnings. I cut the day at the office short and head back home. Before we know it, we hit the road again – the kids are singing two different songs, wife humming along to the FM and I am driving like a...er...responsible father and husband.
Sunday
A day spent at the beach has surprisingly not refreshed me. Kids are fast asleep and did I think I heard the pale whisper of a snore from my wife? I have to drive another 250 km back home. The Innova is playing partner perfect and I am averaging 60 kph easily. Tomorrow, the Innova will go back to Toyota. And I have not even done a mandatory ‘airport run’. I am feeling bad. Looks like I will miss the Innova. Maybe I can emulate Sato-san and treat myself to a bus – oh, I mean big car.
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