‘Does your steering wheel always do that?’ my brother asked me nervously from the driver’s seat. I looked up from my phone with a frown.
‘What do you mean?’
‘It’s shaking,’ he said, relaxing his grip slightly so I could see it juddering his arms.
‘I’ve never noticed it before,’ I said. ‘What did you do?’
‘What did I do?’ he asked, disbelief colouring his tone. ‘It’s your car! I’ve only been driving it for five minutes.’
‘Exactly,’ I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. ‘And now it’s… broken.’
‘Oh, it’s not broken, you drama queen,’ he said, rolling his eyes. ‘But if I were you, I’d get it looked at, quickly.’
‘Eh,’ I waved him off, turning to look out the window. ‘I’ll ask about it at my next car service. Ringwood, next exit,’ I pointed at the green sign.
‘I see it, I see it,’ he grumbled. ‘I’m just saying, it might be a big issue.’
‘It might also just be the terrible roads around Ringwood,’ I shrugged. ‘I’ve never been here before – maybe they all have shaky wheels.’
‘Or maybe you need a reliable brake pad replacement mechanic. Ringwood can’t really be to blame for you not looking after your car.’
‘I’m not taking my car to your brother-in-law,’ I cut him off.
‘Oh, come on, you barely know the guy,’ my brother sighed, indicating for the off-ramp. ‘He’s just started his new business, I think it’ll be really good once he gets his numbers up.’
‘Obviously,’ I frowned. ‘That’s the definition of a business doing really good. But no – I don’t trust him.’
‘What’s he ever done to you?’
‘He stole my wallet at your wedding!’
‘Oh,’ he frowned. ‘Right.’
‘I’d much rather find a reputable mechanic around Ringwood for my breaks,’ I said, settling back into my seat. ‘At least, one that won’t actively steal from me.’
‘It was just one time,’ my brother protested. ‘He’s changed!’
‘Highly unlikely,’ I scoffed. ‘Besides, he’s probably going to go out of business soon and I don’t want my car wrapped up in his bankruptcy proceedings. Ooh, turn here – I feel like a burger.’