I’ve always fantasized about being behind the steering wheel of a four wheeled beauty. One day it would be a limousine or a landaulet. Sometimes it would be a Porsche, a Bentley, a Cadillac or a Ferrari. You see I hated being at the mercy of other people if I wanted to go anywhere. The point to however be noted is that I was born wheel challenged!
It was therefore with great trepidation that I enrolled for my driving lessons. Every morning I diligently backed the car out of the garage, drove it to the road and moved along with instructor in tow urging me not to get perplexed .A month of these sessions and I was declared roadworthy by my relieved instructor. Boy was I glad!
In theory I knew all the parts of the car ----the clutch, the gears, the brakes, the accelerator (the works!)but on the road ,undergoing stressful situations these words would undergo a sea change and I would be left mystified as if suffering from an unexpected paralytic attack or suffering from Alzheimer’s or perhaps from both.
One fine Sunday morning after much coaxing, cajoling and bribing, hubby dear agreed to accompany me on what was going to be my maiden voyage on the road. He was going to be playing the unenvious role of accompanying a novice driver on the first test drive sans instructor.
I was in high spirits, confident and eager to test my skills; after all, my dream was about to come true. Our new sea blue Ford Fiesta stood before us in its entire regal splendor. Christened ‘princess’ by us, it really looked like one .I could not fathom how I was allowed to take it out for a test drive as hubby was very possessive about it. Anyway I brushed aside all such inconsequential thoughts and was eager to get on with the task on hand.
I sank into the plush leather seat, adjusted it and the rear view mirror, lovingly gazed at the adorable dashboard and marveled at the sleek beauty that was about to set the road on fire. I acknowledged all the appreciative looks with a smile, switched on the audio system, mesmerized and lost in a world of my own. The verdant green pines, fresh air and aroma of loving Sunday breakfasts being prepared in homes took my breath away. I drove as if I was on a cushion of air and a transformation came over me. I was woken up from my reverie by hubby’s voice over the din of the regular traffic. “What happened to my staid, sober, shy schoolteacher that I had for a wife?”I heard him scream. You ruined her by giving her the wheel was my flippant answer.
