April 1 2008

Heyyy, wondering if I made a mistake, or you may think it's a typo, but it's not.
Its about that date, my experience and my memory relating to it.

The story has its roots sown well past in India. The day my dad purchased a new car, (ahh!!! now you know where I am heading) dad asked me to join a driving school, learn well and then experiment on the brand new "baby".

With all the enthusiasm, I finalized on a driving school, got my learner's permit done, and I was all set to drive. (here's the catch, I THOUGHT I was ready).

Day 1. Boring Driving lecture.
Day 2. Was actual hands on experience, I was all excited, but to my deepest of the sorrows (pun intended) I could hardly pick the car in the first gear. In the total of 30 mins class, I must have driven just a mile long.
Day 3. A little better, I could pick up the car in the first gear after a couple of trials and errors, which contributed to my nervousness all the more.
Day 4. I dragged my-self
Day 5. I missed... so on and so forth........

Some-how I completed(?) the 30 day class in a span of 60 days. I also managed to get a permanent licence. (and who said, miracles don't happen, they do, just believe in them :) ).
Do I really need to tell you what happened to my driving after that?

=========== END OF PART 1=========================

PART 2 BEGINS

In the mean while I forgot about my driving abilities. I was about to get married and up came the question from my groom to be , quote " can you drive a car"

and with all the confidence I said YES.
I got married, came to US, enjoyed the new country, the roads, the speed and up creeped the enthusiasm for driving THE CAR.
As per my hubby's info, I knew how to drive so he gladly took up the job to teach me, and to his greatest of the fears, I did not know how to drive. :((((((

Well, still he took up the challenge, the car here too had a manual transmission !!!!!

with great love, hate, tears, frowns, etc.... I started driving in my community where the speed limit is 10 miles per hour. My level of expertise reached upto gear 2 as I used only gear 1 and gear 2.

It goes without saying that it took me 3-4 months to ride this "beast" smoothly (but in the community itself).
So now that I was confident enough, I asked my husband to take me out on the road, after days of pursuading him, he finally agreed.


Alas !!!

So here comes April 1 2008, during noon, we came out to practice, after a round or two and unexpectedly, he asked me to take the car on the road. I was excited but scared and was trying to keep my calm.
After a coouple of mins, I was on the road, up came the instruction from him, race the car faster and engage the third gear, which I had never done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The speed limit outside was 35 miles per hour and here I was, not knowing how to do it. OK somehow I pressed the clutch and he put the car in third gear. It was a shocking surprise to me as well as to my husband.

He did not want to take any further chances so he asked me to take the car back in the community through another gate. YES ! you guessed it right! I did not know how to put back the car in either first or second gear!!!!!

BUT I did make a schumacher turn and the car came to a screeching halt. Oh yeah, did I mention, we were totally fit physically. Lets avoid talking about mental states.

As it is very very obvious, I was not allowed to touch the car any longer.

So this was my April 1, 2008, where my hubby surprised me by asking to drive on the regular road and I made a BIG FOOL of myself.

============ END OF PART 2=============

PART 3 BEGINS

After, that event, I hardly drove that car. While my learners permit was about to expire, my husband gifted me with a brand new fully automatic car. (that day also happens to be my birthday !!!).

oh no... this time your guess is wrong.
I am a very safe driver now.
Trust me. People who have had a ride with me can vouch for me.