We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home.
On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow."Buy it," my
wife said at once. "We'll carry it home on the roof rack. I've always wanted one like that."
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was £20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It
was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police
even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, "There's a long line of cars behind. Why don't they overtake, I wonder?" In
fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with
great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One
of the officers came to me.
"Right, sir," he said. "Do you need any more help?"
I was a bit puzzled. "Thanks, officer," I said. "You have been very kind. I live just on the road."
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. "Well, well," he said, laughing. "It's
a cupboard you've got there! We thought it was something else."
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. "Yes, it's
a cupboard, but thanks again." I drove home as fast as I could.