The Lengthiest Lesson learnt in my life

[JUSTIFY]This post contains the lengthiest lesson I learnt in my life. All in my family know this. So why don’t I let my IL family know? Definitely, by this I am going to impress everyone that I am not a loser, I am determined, I am a learner.

DRIVING - This word itself sounded something like piloting an aircraft some twenty years back. May be it was because, we never owned a car. I went to school by cycle (3 + 3 km), learnt to drive TVS 50 just like that. Later my Dad bought a second hand TVS 50, which we used very sparingly. Even now they don’t have a car, but has a Scooty. They live a contended life.

DRIVING was a fantasy, around fifteen years back. During our first trip to US in 1995, we managed without a car as we had bus facility to his office as well as to shopping malls. We never needed a car when we stayed in Scotland as DH’s office or department store or malls were at walkable distance. Moreover bus stop was at our doorstep. My DS was born. During our second trip to US in 1999 my DH took license there, bought Accord. Now the seed to learn driving has been sown. I prepared for the test as if for a competitive exam, took the test, qualified to get learner’s. Then my learning class was put off as we were comfortable with one car, didn’t have the necessity for me to drive, as DH loved driving long distances.

DRIVING was not my priority when we returned to India for good in January 2000. Admitted DS in a school which was around 2 km away. We purchased a TVS Scooty, to drop and pick up my son. I was fortunate enough to get license for both two wheeler as well as LMV by RTO’s oversight. My agent told me not to mention anything as the process will take more time to rectify, advised better to learn driving LMV since I got the license already. Then around 2002 we purchased our first car in India.

DRIVING became my mantra as the seed started sprouting. Registered in a driving institute. Each day’s class was for 5 kms or 15 minutes whichever was earlier. After curiously waiting for my turn, even before getting the feel of steering straight, I would have achieved either one of the above, my turn would come to an end.:thumbsdown At the end of the week I did know clearly how to open the door, how to start, drive in a straight line, ignoring all the honks around, if at all I was able to move the car by holding the clutch at a position and accelerate. When DH went abroad, my driving lessons helped me to maintain the car to the extent of starting it at the neutral, while double checking the hand brake. Years rolled, DD born, we shifted house, purchased another two cars one after the other, every time the size of the cars even bigger which kept me at bay from driving. Once I tried to drive diesel car in an open ground, DH felt like I was driving a truck. Yet again registered for another round of class, didn’t go after two days as the instructor was harsh in his language. Thus the sprout stood still with no interest to grow.

DRIVING was still eluding me. Once, my DH, brother, Dad and Mom teamed up, while negatively appreciating my driving efficiency of keeping the car humming in neutral, reminded my un-kept promise of picking my brother at the airport. My vital chord was triggered, challenged them, in a month that I will learn driving, next time when my brothers were coming, that I am going to pick them at the airport. Dashed to a driving institute, registered myself for a month’s class for Rs.3000/-. This time being money is big; duration longer was very determined to overcome however harsh the instructor was. Here the instructor cum owner of the institute had to put up with me as I had become a noteworthy person in a welfare club, in which he also belonged to. He told me that I was driving good, from then on only practice mattered. Over the years I had become an expert to make the car hum without double checking the hand brake and the gear in neutral. :clap

DRIVING always reminded me the mythological Kaikeyi. I unintentionally remember that Kaikeyi drove the Chariot for Dasaratha and saved his life by putting her finger when the artery nail came off from the wheel, whenever my DH longed for a relaxed back seat ride. I would sigh “When I am going to be Kaikeyi to my Dasaratha at least to drive the car” and hoped my Dasaratha will not let me to insert my finger for a loosened bolt”. Even my DD was six by then, started asking me “amma avaa ellam car ottara. Nee yenma ottamatengara” (Ma, they are all driving. Why are you not driving car) on seeing my friend driving Wagon R, my cousin driving Scorpio. The sprout struggled to grow up.

DRIVING was still a dream. By then I was also working which needed extensive riding around the city, I was happily riding my Activa. I started knowing the geography of the city, which was my internal unexposed weakness before this job. My DH stubbornly said that it was high time that I learn driving car for my own safety as well as kids’ as both had grown up to be taken in the two wheeler together. Now I had to take it seriously as my kids were involved. Even my license would expire by 2011, so my target was set to learn it at least before renewing the license. Time was flying; my bro was due for his next visit to India. Started rummaging my brain of what acceptable reasoning shall I give this time:help. No way out, I have to face him. Again they teamed up to tease me. I stood on my foot told them, “H!, next time I am picking you at the airport. Now I don’t have a car for myself to practice. DH takes his car to office, whenever we were going out, he prefers to drive. If I had had a car, I would have surely picked you up”. The next day brother H and DH, compelled me to accompany to select the car. Settled for a second hand red Wagon R. It was December 2008. At last the green foliage was seen just to get dried.

DRIVING became a nightmare. My DH drove my red chariot home. At the final turn to reach my home, I took the driver’s seat. Michael Shoemaker, Naren Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok were all hovering in my mind I stepped up on the accelerator while turning. Car turned so rapidly. Thud! Right front wheel hit on a big stone at the side of the street and heading towards the tree on the left. :bang I knew, I knew, ABC, A for accelerator, B for break, C for clutch. I did press the B for break just before hitting the tree. I saved my Dasaratha. Straight we headed to the service station. I was shivering and sweating profusely. The service person pacified me that it is only money I lost, didn’t hit anybody. Car was discharged from service station in the mid-January 2009 with a bill of Rs.20k. DH being a perfect gentleman, tried to teach me sitting beside. He genuinely took care of me, my car and the population walking on the road, while encouraged me to drive when I was off seat. Always he ended up driving back home.:kiss

DRIVING had become a compulsion then. Having bought the car, now I have to put my shoulder to the wheel. Even our big bathroom and service area lost its size to accommodate my chariot, spending around another 50k. I had to push back the nightmare. Sought help from a known driver to train me the entire day in my car itself. He was one brave man!!:roll: One fine day drove alone to office. While waiting at the signal to take a right turn, a small size vegetable carrying load van overtook me from left, took a sharp right, hitting my car’s left headlight, jumped the signal to cross a level crossing before it was closed. I waited for the signal, turned right, crossed level crossing after the gate opened, curbed it to check the light. It was all broken, ended up spending another Rs.2,500, though reached office safely and back home before it was dark. :bonk

DRIVING was still eluding me. Was I losing confidence? No! No! Manju cannot afford to lose her face. God took pity on me this time and sent my colleague as my rescuer. Since we were working as partners in completing an assignment, the Almighty gave him all the courage he needed to accompany me, made me drive all over the city.:spin After a week or so, he was so excited and cheered. I without turning asked what it was. He informed me that I, for the first time passed a moving vehicle. Wow! That sounded like honey in my ears. Finally I learnt driving:cheers. I did extend my license for LMV on time in June 2011. I did pick up my brother the next time he came, only missed a turn and took him away from my home for a kilometre to take a ‘U’ turn.

P.S.: Now I am an official driver to take my kids around, to drive my in-laws, parents to marriages, hospitals etc., to give my DH relaxed ride during weekend outing. I even shared some driving time in DH’s big car in Highway on a trip. Still I don’t drive his in the city.:hide:
[/JUSTIFY]

 

Dear Prana,

That was real fast. Take your time and read. Your FB will be highly I valuable.

Regards
Manjukps

 

Thank you priya for your feedback. Yes. I too was in the beginning too scared to operate the gear. But only the practice brings the skill. Now, even I don't opt for automatic car as I got used to this, when my DH wanted to change this one with new. I agree that it is quite different from driving in US.

Dear sweetly, definitely you should know driving. After the kids starts going to school, definitely you need to have a two wheeler. It gives so much of independence. Go for it girl.

Thank you Srama. Your FB means a lot to me. Every time I take my car, I thank my stars, finally I learnt it, because it gave me a great feel of independence, gives me great satisfaction to shoulder my DH at times of his need.

Sure Srama, you can always depend on me to take you around anywhere in chennai. I know you say it out of love. Nothing to feel bad.

Regards
Manjukps