Learning to Drive, Part three

Leta stared at the console. Although she had been in an automobile many times, she had always been a passenger. The dials and instruments were not completely unfamiliar to her, but she had never paid much attention to them. She had never needed to, and while she wasn’t afraid of learning new things, she was practical about doing so. Sitting in the driver’s seat of her husband Bob’s automobile was a foreign experience.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do to me,” she said. “I can’t learn how to drive this contraption.”

“Of course, you can,” her husband said, hovering beside her. He was still standing outside the vehicle, holding himself with one arm on the open door and another on the top of the car. He was leaning in very closely.

“But I’m 45 years old!” she protested.

“And beautiful,” he added. “Don’t forget beautiful.”

She pursed her lips and looked at him quickly.

“Flattery is not going to get you anywhere,” she said.

“Then humor me,” he said. “One lesson, and if you don’t like it, we’ll stop.”

“It just,” she stuttered, “it just seems unnatural.”

“Trust me on this,” he said. “It’ll be like learning how to ride a bike.”

“I don’t know how to ride a bike,” she stated.

He paused only a moment, but decided not to respond to her. Then he reached in and began to go over the controls. After that, he closed the car door, circled around it, and sat beside her in the passenger seat. Leta still held her hands in her lap.

“Now put your hands on the steering wheel, he said, your right hand at two o’clock and your left at eight o’clock. Leta complied. “Now just relax,” he urged. “You’re stiff as a board.”

“I’m nervous,” she said.

“The automobile is your friend, a companion,” Bob said soothingly. “Have you ever driven a buggy?”

“Yes.”

“Then think about it this way—you are in a horseless carriage. Instead of the reins, you have the steering wheel,” he explained. “And I promise you. The automobile is far more obedient than one or two horses. And look, the parking brake is basically the same. That lever right there.”

Leta reached for it.

“Don’t touch it!” Bob warned quickly, and she pulled her hand back. “We don’t want you accidentally releasing it.”

Both of Leta’s hands were back in her lap, and she turned to her husband with a scowl. “I do understand about parking brakes,” she snapped.

“Of course, of course,” he smiled.

For a few moments, Leta’s bit of anger relaxed her, and Bob was able to have her go through the gears and choke. When she tried to turn the steering wheel, she was surprised to learn that it wouldn’t budge. He told her that it would be easier when the automobile was moving, but that it would require some arm strength. Then he had her practice operating the choke and gears without actually turning on the ignition. From her perspective, he was as apprehensive as she was to let her start the engine and control actual movement. She practiced this several times, and then Bob had her start the car.

“You’re doing very well, darling,” he said.

Leta just stared ahead, clutching the steering wheel with all her strength.

“Now turn off the engine.”

“What?” she questioned quickly.

“Turn off the engine. “This ends your first lesson.

Leta completed the task and slumped back in the seat.

Bob gave her a quick hug and turned to toward the back seat.

“You deserve a beer,” he said.

To be continued.