I’d done it again! Gone and accepted a job without really knowing what I was going to be doing. At least I knew this time there there was allocated parking space for staff – Vi had given me a token for a car park around the corner from the office. So no tiny spaces to reverse into.
The morning was wet and I knew as I got my straighteners out that the look I was going for was not necessarily the look I would achieve standing in front of the mirror at home, let alone how it would look when I got to work. The tricky part was not so much the hair but how not to clash with the room itself. I had a really nice office type outfit in a chocolatey colour, but against the yellow walls I was going to look like some sort of seventies throwback – visions of being five years old and wearing a yellow gingham school dress with extensive wite collarand brown cardigan came to mind.
In the end I went for black. I dropped the kids at school and drove into town, heading for the car park on Park Road. As I indicated to turn into the car park, people were turning up also – either to work in other parts of the building – which I now knew to house at least two other businesses, or being dropped off for their driving theory tests. Spaces in the car park were filling quite quickly and I was lucky to get the last available spot, once again reversing in, but this time without the scrutiny of Mr Plankton. This made me wonder how he had got on yesterday. I wondered if I could ask or would it be a breach of confidentiality.
The car park was surrounded by trees, and in the wind, leaves were dropping – which although it didn’t sound right for this time of year, was actually quite fitting. Berries were on trees and the birds were enjoying an unseasonal feast, leaving behind their greetings on the sunroof of my car. Which, fortunately was shrouded in a cloak of the aforementioned leaves.
When I finally got into the building, having remembered my P45 and bank account details, oh and miraculously my passport, Vi was sat at her desk, filling in paperwork. She too was wearing black and together against the bright yellow we looked like we were warming up to dance ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’
The day wore on, and several groups attended for their tests, some successful and some not. So as a mixture of glum and cheery expressions left the room, I managed to grasp the basic essentials of what the position might entail. We were stood by the printer awaiting the Pass Certificates to come off.
Then Vi said that I would be required to undergo training to help out in the other office, on the outskirts of town, sometimes working away from the office. But not to worry, other examiners would train me first. As I sat down rather sharpish, she asked was I alright?
I made the ‘ok’ signal and managed finally to manoeuvre myself into a standing position, before gathering my bag and leaving to pick the kids up.
Driving from my space after spending some considerable time clearing the wet rear windscreen of leaves. I joined the busy line of traffic and drove at snail’s pace back towards the village, hoping to make it to school in time to get a space in yet another car park!
I looked at the paperwork I had been issued earlier by Vi as I sat waiting for my children to emerge tired – possibly, happy – sometimes, hungry – for sure, from their classrooms. Tomorrow I was due to visit the other site to meet the staff and learn how they went about their daily business. Certainly I would not need help getting to this building, for sadly it had become all too familiar over the last fourteen years. Though now I had been driving for just under four years, it was a well worn road that led me to the Driving Test Centre.
Tags: business, driving test, flight of the Bumble Bee, manoeuvre, mirror, signal, theory
