Drive Through

My son Raffy is a much better driver than I am.  

Maybe I should settle for cars like these...

     Who among you here drive their own car?  Then you would know what I’m going through right now.  I’m in a state you would call the Drive-Through.  No, I’m not referring to a McDonald’s Drive thru, or a Jollibee Drive thru.  I’m not talking about food at all! 

    
     I’m talking about learning how to drive and all the things you have to go through while learning.

      
       I’m on a drive-through!

     All right, you might be wondering, “She’s learning how to drive? Wait, how old is she?”  I know, I know, I’m in my thirties! (Actually author is in her forties.) I get it!  I’m way too old to still not know how to drive.  Heck, kids these days drive their own wheels to the prom!

     But yes, at thirty-two (Make that 45), I am learning how to drive.  My first victim was my younger brother March.  Yes you heard right.  My name is April and I have a brother called March.  He was my first victim.  No!  No, I didn’t run over him, the poor guy, I asked him to teach me how to drive.

     So he was my first driving instructor.  We used his car of course.  He taught me every Monday and Tuesday from 3pm till five.  He’s a call center employee by the way – in the technical department – he fixes computers; and he drives his own car.  He’s way much younger than me yes.

     He brought me to that road behind Cebu Doctor’s University at the North Reclamation Area.  To cut the long story short, I loved it!  I loved the feel of power!  I loved the thrill of controlling a huge chunk of metal that follows my every whim!  I loved driving!  And, my brother was a picture of patient perfection!

     Well, that was the first day.  And the second day, which actually boded of more good things yet to come.  Not!

     Since my brother March was a call center agent, I had to wait a week for my next class, no for the next two weeks!  And he was the one who said I should not stop driving otherwise I will forget what he taught me!

     But my dear husband Richard, did not teach me in the interim – his excuse, his car needed fixing and would be too difficult for me to learn driving with.

"I loved the feel of power!  

I loved the thrill of controlling 

a huge chunk of metal

that follows my every whim! 

I loved driving!"

     So when time came for me to have my class with my brother, things turned out totally different from the first two days.  He was not patient at all.  In fact, he was a bully!  He said I had to learn fast since I was getting a real driving class in two days!

     His attitude did not help at all.  The more he got angry, the more rattled I became, and the more mistakes I made!

     We were at the Cempark and he said I’d better drive really good otherwise the guards would notice me and shoo us away.

     I tell you I felt I would go straight to an open grave pit!  And I did!  I went straight to – a tent post.  Whew.  At least that post was just two inches in diameter.  But it did do damage to his car, and what little vestige of his patience left!  And my ego!

    The drive-through; not a pretty experience.  And I’m not alone!  But my motivation is something I can concentrate on -  just fix my gaze on the prize and I can drive through it with flying colors. 

     Fix my gaze on the prize…  Ah, what the heck!

     I’m through with driving!  Richard! YOU drive me home!