Sue the Amazonian

Everyday I have a new vehicle. Sometimes it’s a motorcycle, once or twice a 4x4 and today, a white van.

No I didn’t win the lottery or the Man Booker Prize! And if I did I wouldn’t waste the monies on cars because I can’t drive and I’m a very bad passenger – the kind who can’t read maps and would much rather fall asleep than keep the driver company.

Nope. These vehicles aren’t mine but they’ve all at one point or another parked on my parking space. The small rectangular bit of concrete with my house number painted on it. The small space that I pay for as it’s included in my rental agreement. And it ain’t cheap either.

Ever since I’ve moved in this estate, my parking space has been invaded so many times I’ve lost track. It’s not like people ask either. Each house, each flat in this estate is allocated one parking space. But people are people and will have more than one car. Even when there’s a train service 15 minutes walk away and a regular bus service 2 seconds down the road.

Being the new old kid on the block and not wishing to be the crazy lady with the mad cat (well not yet anway), I’ve learnt to be selectively blind.

Enter the lovely Sue. Sue is the caretaker of the estate. She is also a fellow cat-woman. Every morning she sweeps and dusts and does odd repairs around the estate and every so often we’d chat on my doorstep while I try to stop her from sweeping the leaves from my front pathway.

“I have to show willing,” she’d protest as we play grab the broom while I beg her to stop because I can do the sweeping of leaves from my front bit myself. Eventually anyway.

Sue has taken up the fight to keep my parking space clear.

“It’s not right,” she would fume when she’d find another vehicle parked on my space. I've come to know this as her war cry for battle to commence. Whenever I return from work, the offending vehicle would always be gone.

So every day not only does she stubbornly sweep the leaves from my front bit, she ensures I gets what I pays for.

I’m writing about her because today is International Women’s Day and so I thought what an appropriate way to celebrate one of the the wonderful women I know who make my life a little rosier.

Cheers Sue!