WHERE THERE’S SMOKE...

On the East side of Stokes Croft going South, saw her unlocking her bike. Stood watching a short while then said, ‘hello.’
‘Oh, hello,’ she said turning to face me. ‘You fancy a tea? I’ve got a few minutes.’
‘Yes, okay. I’ll get them.’
Went into the Elegance as she re-locked her bike. Ordered: tea for her, coffee for me. Sat down near the back of the cafe. She sat down opposite as the drinks were brought over.
‘How’re you?’
‘I’m on the bike because the car, the other day, smoke came out the air vents filled the car and I thought, “oh shit, is it going to explode, am I going to die, take a load of people with me?”’
‘What was it, you know?’
‘I took it to the garage, smoke still coming out, had the windows down, one of the mechanics ran out shouting, “turn it off, turn it off, it’s the electrics,” which is what I thought it was.’
‘Was it?’
‘They don’t know. They checked the electrics, the oil, I topped it up, but they couldn’t find what it was.’
‘What you going to do?’
‘Don’t know but we might lose the car and it cost two and a half thousand three years ago.’
‘That’s a lot of money for three years of car.’