Two months ago, Austin joked about how it would be so great if I could get my driver's license before we got married.
Yeah. I know. I was 25 and I didn't know how to drive. I had always been afraid of the road and there had always been a boy(friend) with a car.
In the heat of over-optimism and an eagerness to be the perfect fiance, I signed up for a driving class. The online one.
Sometimes when I was staring at the computer screen, trying to memorize how many feet of distance you're supposed to leave when parking away from the fire hydrant (15!), I felt my heart beating down on my ribs, demanding to be let out.
What if I remembered all the facts and passed my online test?
Then I would actually be on the road.
The big day came. Austin randomly pulled into a church parking lot after errands one day and waved the keys in my face with a large grin. Your turn, babe.
I swallowed and managed my sweetest smile. Why don't we do something else? Like catch a movie? Go grab drive through? Make out? No go. I dragged my feet over to the left side of the car. Austin explained the mechanics of the stick shift in way too logical terms while I anxiously scanned the parking lot for stray dogs. Ok go.
Clutch. Gas. Clutch. Desperate brake. I cried the first four times I was behind the wheel. Story of our drives.
Anyhow, Austin kept asking me what I was so scared of. So I finally made him a list:
Random dead body in my trunk.
It happens.
Proving the Asian female stereotype true.
I asked my driving instructor whether this was true or not -
his hilarious answer is for the next blog post.
Oh dear. There's a deer so near.
The stick snaps.
Run out of gas in the middle of the desert.
And water.
Broken brakes.
During a classic car chase scene.
Jack falls on me when changing tires.
After all, Jack did fall down the hill.
And he dragged Jill with him.
The text that got me in an accident was a lame one.
Sometime like "hey sorry. Can't text. Driving now"
My fiance would reconsider us when he sees me drive.
Others warned us not to risk our relationship on
having Austin teach me how to drive.
We should have listened.
Ultimately, I am just afraid that I will hit somebody and kill them. On a Christmas eve. When his wife is giving birth in the hospital .... yeah. Too complicated for a sticky note.
At the end of the day, I am learning. Not very well, but I'm making progress. And we're still getting married. Miraculously (#6 days!).
