Driving… The Learning

“Daddy, please hold on, don’t leave in the middle” – This was the first sentence I spoke out of fear when my dad asked me to ride on a small customized bicycle. I remember he never let it go for that whole time. Slowly then I started riding with out his help…well it was on my 3^rd grade I suppose.

After coming to USA, getting license is kinda part of life. And here they are very strict in following the rules. [naanga romba strictu…]. Raz said that I had to give a written exam and only if I cleared that I could start learning. Choose the best answers thane namakelaam alwa saapdra maathiri illa. I said, okay get me the syllabus. He brought me a print out in the size of my pillow. Well now u will know the story, I slept over it every day. Then some of my experienced girl friends here suggested me to start looking into old question papers [vaazhakai fulla athaane panninom]…they sent me some 10 question papers. Elaathayum padichu theethomla…before the exam day, I can answer to any question asked from those. So finally the day came & we went to give the exam. There was a queue for that.. And I was remembering the exam halls and students with hall tickets. Then finally I gotta seat, they gave me the question paper…and I am supposed to finish it in some 15 – 20 minutes. I was reading the question paper again & again..paavi pasanga…oru 3 kelvi mattum pazhaya question paperla irunthu kuduthirukaanga…or may be I didn’t get tht q copy before. Namma sittrarivai use panni epdi elaa question kum answer kandupidichu tick paneetom. But then I saw many where like ticking..rechecking…and I lost my patience…as usual…went & gave the ans paper…the lady didn’t even see the questions but jus answers…correct correct wrong correct correct … I was amazed at her speed of correction [there is no speeding ticket for this?] well finally pass paneetomla. Then we went to the counter, they said I need an SSN to get an id. When we contacted the SSN office they said I was not eligible to get one until October. Ada paaveengala maathi maathi thorathreengale… then I had to wait for some 2 months before I could get a learner’s permit [athaanga namma LLR.] Nonsense yaarkitta kaathu kuthraanga…namma oorla elaam 1 hour la LLR kuduthuduvaanga…mmm antha luxury elaam in tha oorla ethir parka mudiyuma?

Then finally October came & so did my learner’s permit. Nothing it was just a paper with my black & white photo’s copy on it. Ithuku thaan ivalo aarpattam. Ennatha solla. I felt a great relief when I got that without knowing that my future was laughing at me sarcastically. As every wife, faithfully I prepared myself to learn driving from my husband. And as every husband, faithfully he prepared to get irritated while teaching me [hello enna ungaluku apdi illaya…well exceptions are not examplesJ].

Then one fine evening, Raz took me to a near by park and let me to sit on the driving side for the first time. Antha saami, intha saami, kandasaami elaathayum vendikittu, wheela thotten. naanum methuvaa accelerator azhuthren no way car was moving… Paavi makka, oru saamiyum sollalai gear should be in driving mode nu J. Raz first took it easy and told me the mistake very patiently [aiiii en kanavar nallavar nu nichukitten]. And he let me drive directly on the main road [aavvvvv…], my only goal was to hold the wheel properly. I told him, the car is always sliding towards my right side nu. It was almost dark, and all cars coming in good speed from opposite direction. Namakku pagalaye pasumaadu theriaathu..irutla eruma maata thedunna…apdi thaanga namma kathaiyum aagi pochu anniku. Oru vazhiya thattu thadumaari thirumba park ku vanthu senthom. Well I don’t need to say how many scolding would I have got before I parked that car. I missed my daddy that time J nainaa pakkodaaaa…

From then onwards Raz was very cautious that he never let me drove on the main roads, enna irunthaalum uyir bayamnu onnu irukumla. Then I slowly started driving in the residential areas when the entire street was empty. One biggest hurdle was my memory; if stayed out for more time, I would even forget my way back to home. I have such a great memory, so I always forgot the right turns & left turns and I get left & right from Raz. There was not even single drive without him shouting and I getting angry. Those times I used feel like why the heck should I learn this stupid stuff J . We then decided it is not going to work out, so I took lesson from a professional driving teacher. But still not much improvement. One thing was for sure, I know how to pull over the car & park it along the curb – because I do that every time Raz scoled me. I will pull over, get down & start walking. Poor Raz, he would come & pick me up and the history repeats. I was not able to drive the car without any feat. It was partially because of the road & partially because of Raz.

After few days, I started taking lessons from our friend TG. The best teacher I would say J he was patient enough. [mmm..should ask his wife though J]. The first thing he taught me was how to put sudden break J He must feel safe before he ride with me :D. First day, the drive was smooth and he even made me to drive in the main streets. I was so happy that I could drive without fear. Finally the day’s lesson got over & he told me to park near the curb. Nalla thaanga poittu irunthuchu…when I turned for parking, he asked me to slow down…enna nenappo therialai I stepped on accelerator, the next second I saw our car moving towards the neighbor’s fence. I immediately stepped on the break & brought the car to the halt few inches before the fence. Thappichathu thambiraan punniamnu , my guru was smiling. [ulla nadungi irupaaro?]. But then it was only on the first day, later on I began to drive well. He said he would teach me parallel parking soon. But before that he left to India for vacation. But since driving test here doesn’t include parallel parking, Raz said he would book for driving test appointment. Bayathula thala nadunga, atha avar naan ok nu solrennu ninachu book paneetaaru :D.

We arranged a driving school to take me for the driving test. The night before Raz took me for a test drive. Well, should I need to describe…we were jus driving around 4 streets in square fashion but all I could remember was I was holding the steering too tight as if I was taking the test then? That time I thought I wouldn’t be that fearful even for the real test. Finally Raz fed up & we returned home. I remember very well that night. I went to bed wishing the day could dawn soon. The D day finally dawned…