As Irene was so good to me during my stay with them, I asked her to dinner at the Indian restaurant in Callender. Their food is excellent, and we go there quite often as a group, me Hanna , Liz , and whoever else wanted to come. I asked Hanna and Liz whether they would like to come, but paying their own bills, as they are two expensive customers, that is with all the drinks they enjoy with their meals. As usual I was the designated driver, as I rarely have more than two wines, and of course the new policeman was still very vigilant, and I think I have said it before, but he had relieved about sixty percent of the Strathyre men from their drivers licences
We set out in the wee Panda, and we were in high spirits, intent on enjoying our night out before I left for home. Both Liz and Irene were already highly sozzled when we left, and they were so full of life and energy, and although I knew people were watching us with a teeny bit of revulsion, I couldn't care less, as I have decided to just enjoy the evening.
The meal was as usual so good, and we all over- ate, and over-drank as well, me having had three wines instead of my two, but as it was quite late, and a week-day, we hoped that the policeman would be in his bed by now!The young waiter had for some reason decided that Liz was the one with the money, not that I blamed him, as she always looked very stylish. So he was pussyfooting her, and as she was quite drunk, she played along, and I could see this young Indian boy licking his lips for the expected giant tip!
At last the owner came to inform us that they were about to close, and watching the other three trying to get out of their chairs, I knew that I was in for a hard time, as not one of them was capable of walking to the car unassisted.
But the people from the restaurant came up to scratch beautifully, and they helped the three ladies to the car, where upon sitting down, they all promptly fell asleep!
I was now not too worried, as I intended to just leave them in the car to sleep it off when we got home.
But then disaster struck! When I started the Panda it made one funny noise, and the next moment a stream of water started running from underneath us, and down the road. I got out to see what was happening, and realized that my radiator, that was a bitty dicy, had gone, and we would not be able to drive home in the Panda. I tried the restaurant, but all was dark and quiet, I suppose they had just waited for us to leave before running for their beds. I was in a tizz, because I couldn't phone people at that time of the morning to fetch us, as they all would be nicely sozzled at this time of night, the Scottish being people who do not play with the whiskey, or the beer!
But Lizzy sat up suddenly, and in a voice devoid of emotion, asked why the heck were we not home yet. She could take her drink better than the others, who were both snoring disgustedly with their mouths hanging open.
She then had the audacity to phone Katy, a young girl who once worked for her, and Katy sent her man, who had just that day got his license back, to pick us up, and I wondered at his condition, as it would be bad if he lost his license a day after getting it back!