Random reminder

Press, 10 February 1981, Page 23

Random reminder

NOW YOU SEE IT—NOW YOU DON’T

No one likes to have his car stolen even if it is 20 years old with an expired warrant of fitness. When it is a near new burnt-orange Cortina 2.OGL, the shock of losing it can make a man wonder if there is anything left in life worth living for. Jack and his wife had driven down from Central Otago to Dunedin to attend a wedding and were staying for a couple of nights with good old Bert, Bert’s wife and their' son Eric. Jack and Bert were also looking forward to a lot of talk about Bardia, Benghazi and Alamein, which they knew would be thirsty work. So when the women began organising the evening meal, Bert declared that it would be of great assistance to them if the men went A.W.O.L. for a while, and taking Jack’s burnt-orange Cortina they drove off to Bert’s friendly neighbourhood tavern about half a mile away. Jack parked the car in the tavern yard, locked it securely and Bert led the way indoors. Once inside they joined a group of Bert’s very best friends, joviality reigned and two and a half hours had passed before Bert realised that by then the meal must be almost ready. They rose to leave. Eric was nowhere to be found but Bert said that the walk home would do him good. The two men made their way to where they believed they had parked the car only to find another one occupying the space. A Cortina certainly, similar to Jack’s but pale fawn in colour. Thinking their sense of direction may have muddled them they searched the entire park, but Jack’s car was definitely missing. They reported back to the tavern where the manager said I he was not surprised since two or three cars went missing every week. ■ Then on the manager’s advice Jack i rang the police who after much ques- 1

(Itioning told him that the chances of ■ finding the car were very good, but i|the chances of finding it undamaged , | were very bad. They would ring him when and if. Jack and good old Bert went home in a taxi. In silence. When they entered the' living room and announced i what had happened Jack’s wife col- ■ lapsed on the sofa. Black depression , settled on the room and was broken ; only by Jack’s intermittent villification > of thieves, the police, the government and the young couple who were going I to be married next day. About eleven o’clock Eric turned up, - assessed the atmosphere and asked i what was going on. Jack told him that i what was going on was $12,000 worth ;I of stolen motor-car probably halfway j to Christchurch by now while the • police were lolling about in swivel . chairs and arguing about promotion. Eric said that couldn’t be right bei cause he had just walked home after 1 waiting beside the Cortina for 20 min- ' utes for a ride that never eventuated. : Jack replied that he was talking non- ; sense. The car was stolen. Good old : Bert confirmed the statement and : added that Eric should have his eyes : tested. Erie’s mother however, sug- [ gested that the two men should go back to the tavern with Eric and see for themselves. When they got there Eric took them to a car that was standing beneath a light and said what was that? Jack said crossly that while it was a Cortina it was not his Cortina. It was pale fawn. His was burnt-orange. Eric then pointed out that if it wasn’t his ; car why was Jack’s wind-breaker lying in the back seat? i As they drove home Jack said gloomily that he supposed he’d have I to .explain everything to the police and j Bert said that was right. Sodium lightling plays strange tricks with colour.