Scratch dents perfection

You inhale that beautiful scent and drive off the lot with eyes of caution. Nothing will touch your new car.

You park away from dodgy looking vehicles, require all passengers to clean their shoes before entry, and ban all food and liquids from your precious new wheels. Your car is perfect and you’re damn sure it’s going to stay that way.

A cautious driver, you’ve never had an accident - there will never be an accident. This flawless beauty is yours, and you will protect her to your dying day. Then, it happens.

Returning to your parked car you reach to open the boot, and there-oh good God-there is your car’s first scratch! Your heart races, you look side to side to arrest the assailant, but no one is near. Someone defaced your pride and joy and left without even a note of apology.

Your breath quickens, you feel victim to a crime. You even, surprisingly, wish you were at fault. You could hate yourself if you had carelessly backed into a post or scraped something across the side. Then at least every time you saw that shameful scratch you’d know who was to blame.

But no, no, this was not your fault. The first scar of imperfection fell across your beauty by a stranger’s careless and cruel hand. Did the assailant have any thought to the anguish their mistake would cause you, leaving you in the dark without a shred of relief from vengeance?

You wish desperately for at least the consolation of a note, even if it only utters, “Sorry I scratched your car, I know it’s unfair, but life happens -- so buckle up.” However there is no note, just an empty sense of blame. How can you find peace of mind?

You glare at the woman coming out of the shop with a full trolley, your suspicion flicks to the teenager passing by on a skateboard, then your eyes shamefully narrow on the toddler flinging about a toy truck.

You want to shout, “Which one of you inconsiderate bastards hurt my car?” But you don’t. Taking a deep breath, you get in your car and hang your head in shame. With all your rules and precautions, you forgot you couldn’t protect your beloved from the world’s cruelty.