Got a call from the insurance adjuster today. According to the initial assessment fixing Tweety will cost R7000 more than we paid for her and R5000 more than the currently insured value, so a write-off appears to be in our future. They’re still looking at alternative quotations, but having found out for myself what the actual parts cost I’m not optimistic (the boot door alone is almost half the car’s total value, unless one can be salvaged from a scrap yard).

As there’s no way we’ll get another car with aircon, CD player and power steering, with Tweety’s mileage and in Tweety’s condition (sans recent damage) for the price we paid for her two years ago, never mind the amount we can expect to be paid out, I’m now hoping the company of the guy who caused the accident will be willing to settle the matter privately as I have no desire to go through the drama of buying back the car form the insurance company and then trying to re-insure a “salvaged” vehicle. Except that all the people at said company are always out of the office when I call and apparently don’t know how to return messages.

I’ll keep you updated.

• That's life