This morning was a rowing morning and as such we were up before 5am to get there on time. I had told Alex she needed to do more driving and she went over to get the Rav from the shed.
She is a morning person.
I am not.
Still half asleep I stumble into some clothing, its dark, I don't care, something off my floordrobe. Can't find shoes- oh well, its only driving. Don't need shoes.
Leave house, still half asleep, no phone, no wallet. Just there and back. I'll be awake by the time I have to drive.
We set off and the driving is a little erratic. We were slow, fast, slow, fast, slow, slow 'don't forget to dip the lights', slow, slower. We got to a slight rise and a red light. Stalled. Fast thinking mother relayed instructions in terse, crisp manner. We got going. One other car made it through the lights.
My next waking moment was a close call with a power pole and more instruction 'POWER POLE! YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE' By this stage I had heart palpitations and my mouth was dry.
The next corner, we take the curb- it's the same curb that has caught us out before. I am AWAKE! We stay in the left lane of 3 and let the cars behind us pass.
They do, we change lanes and follow. Both cars that had been behind us, one since the red light failure, turn into rowing, we follow. "Oh, those people have seen your driving this morning" thinking she would be mortified or at least vaguely embarrassed. "I don't care!!!!" .......Yikes, I was just going to give the pep talk about not caring what other people think/say/do.
As we come down toward the shed, there is a hard 90 degree right turn, we drift this corner, seriously, wheels slide, gravel flying, steering wheel correction like a pro. I clutch the door with both hands and make a silent scream, my knuckles white.
"Pull over here" Now gone beyond palpitations and into full cardio arrest. She stops.
"Okay........" What to say? Give me words.. "Not so good this morning. Need a bit more practice huh??"
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, we don't have much petrol."
I glance down "Holy petrol producing nations having civil wars!!!!!" I wouldn't say that's not much! I would say that's NONE! It was under E. Not E for enough, E for Eeeekkkkk!
E for no monEy,
E for no shoEs,
E for no phonE,
E for grabbed whatEver off the floor to wear.
I wish I hadn't looked. I drove the 30ish kilometres back to my house frantically trying to remember all those petrol saving tricks my Dad had told me over the years, I coasted, I turned off the air conditioner, I tried to maintain an even speed about 90km, I tried not to look down- but still did!
As I traveled along planning what I would do at each stage if I ran out. The motor kept going. I made it Clevedon where I contemplated going into the service station I normally use and talking to Akshat or Imran or Pooja to get some free petrol
"You remember me? I drive the new Calais. You call me 'Loarf' (love), I always fill here. Just ignore my lack of footwear, my old surf T-shirt with paint on it and the unmatching dress skirt with wrinkles, I just need enough to get me home, it is so far under E it has started digging." My pride got in the way. I would not beg to our Indian servo boys "here take my watch, I'll be back........"
I made it home. I don't know how. I think the car must have been running on the smell of someone elses oily rag.
What have I learned? Hope for the best, plan for the worst and stash $20 somewhere under the seat! And if in doubt..... don't look down!
She is a morning person.
I am not.
Still half asleep I stumble into some clothing, its dark, I don't care, something off my floordrobe. Can't find shoes- oh well, its only driving. Don't need shoes.
Leave house, still half asleep, no phone, no wallet. Just there and back. I'll be awake by the time I have to drive.
We set off and the driving is a little erratic. We were slow, fast, slow, fast, slow, slow 'don't forget to dip the lights', slow, slower. We got to a slight rise and a red light. Stalled. Fast thinking mother relayed instructions in terse, crisp manner. We got going. One other car made it through the lights.
My next waking moment was a close call with a power pole and more instruction 'POWER POLE! YOU HAVE TO CONCENTRATE' By this stage I had heart palpitations and my mouth was dry.
The next corner, we take the curb- it's the same curb that has caught us out before. I am AWAKE! We stay in the left lane of 3 and let the cars behind us pass.
They do, we change lanes and follow. Both cars that had been behind us, one since the red light failure, turn into rowing, we follow. "Oh, those people have seen your driving this morning" thinking she would be mortified or at least vaguely embarrassed. "I don't care!!!!" .......Yikes, I was just going to give the pep talk about not caring what other people think/say/do.
As we come down toward the shed, there is a hard 90 degree right turn, we drift this corner, seriously, wheels slide, gravel flying, steering wheel correction like a pro. I clutch the door with both hands and make a silent scream, my knuckles white.
"Pull over here" Now gone beyond palpitations and into full cardio arrest. She stops.
"Okay........" What to say? Give me words.. "Not so good this morning. Need a bit more practice huh??"
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, we don't have much petrol."
I glance down "Holy petrol producing nations having civil wars!!!!!" I wouldn't say that's not much! I would say that's NONE! It was under E. Not E for enough, E for Eeeekkkkk!
E for no monEy,
E for no shoEs,
E for no phonE,
E for grabbed whatEver off the floor to wear.
I wish I hadn't looked. I drove the 30ish kilometres back to my house frantically trying to remember all those petrol saving tricks my Dad had told me over the years, I coasted, I turned off the air conditioner, I tried to maintain an even speed about 90km, I tried not to look down- but still did!
As I traveled along planning what I would do at each stage if I ran out. The motor kept going. I made it Clevedon where I contemplated going into the service station I normally use and talking to Akshat or Imran or Pooja to get some free petrol
"You remember me? I drive the new Calais. You call me 'Loarf' (love), I always fill here. Just ignore my lack of footwear, my old surf T-shirt with paint on it and the unmatching dress skirt with wrinkles, I just need enough to get me home, it is so far under E it has started digging." My pride got in the way. I would not beg to our Indian servo boys "here take my watch, I'll be back........"
I made it home. I don't know how. I think the car must have been running on the smell of someone elses oily rag.
What have I learned? Hope for the best, plan for the worst and stash $20 somewhere under the seat! And if in doubt..... don't look down!
E for tEEnager!
ReplyDeleteBut what speed did she get up to on the driveway?
Funny, so very funny. I remember like it was yesterday learning how to drive. One of my lessons was how to watch the front when you are backing. Dad let me learn this one by myself as he sat next to me while I took out my front bumper and light as " I know how to back Dad" swung around too fast and off it came. Funny though because I always double, triple check now. The little life lessons/ driving lessons give you something to look back and laugh about. :-)
ReplyDelete