Every Car Has Her Day!

It was a Royal blue Nissan Sentra (with automatic transmission and power steering) which my husband had rented for my driving test. We had an old 1987 Toyota Tercel and he had taught me driving on that car for months before I went for the test. New York state driving license was difficult to obtain. You were actually supposed to know driving and parallel parking to get one. Here I was nervous behind the wheel of the shiny car and that examiner with an American accent watching my each move made my feet shake. I made severe blunders just while merging with the traffic. The car was rather smooth as compared our old stick shift whose steering needed extra muscle power. The examiner must have been appalled and he asked to return in few minutes. I was shocked and frustrated at my failure. I was really ashamed and felt that I could never drive.

Wiping my tears, i asked my husband to take the very next appointment. A week later, we went there with our old car. This time determined to keep trying till i passed. The same examiner was there and he gave me a tough look and sat next to me on the torn seat with a long face. I decided to ignore him and started the car. I just went on taking him wherever he asked.  During parallel parking, the small car perfectly fitted between two cars without much hassle. The master was impressed this time and quietly signed of the form! In the end he said, “You should have brought this car last week. Why did you spend money on that Nissan?”

That little Tercel was our dear friend till we finished our studies in Buffalo,NY. No matter how much it snowed, we would clean her and take her out to the university. She made numerous trips to the Niagara falls with guests. Even after our month long vacation in India when we returned in 6 ft snow, she started without a single fuss! When my husband got a job and we went to Austin she helped us in initial days. Next we got a 1993 Honda Civic! It was an automatic transmission, white sedan that really made us proud.

I still remember junking that old Tercel in a junk yard for $35. I really felt sorry but we could not afford to keep her. Three years earlier, my husband had come to receive me at the Buffalo airport. I had traveled for 30 hours to meet him and I felt really warm and cozy sitting next to him in that car. Later on when i got a job we needed another car. This time we got a 1995 Toyota Corolla. It was bigger than the Civic and Tercel. I was never very comfortable driving that. When our little boy started going to day care, he had a choice of two cars! He would go in Corolla with Dad and return in Civic with mom. In a few months, we sold both the cars and returned to India to settle in Bangalore. Scared of driving on Bangalore streets, for almost a year we were dependent on buses and autos. My husband had a bicycle and got a great reputation as a fitness freak and environmentalist! My little boy would sit in his stroller like a king and i would walk around buying stuff. We were proud of these two unmotorized vehicles for a year!

Next came the peacock green 1999 Maruti Zen! Driving in Bangalore was tough. However, I soon gathered enough courage to drive it. Then there was no looking back. Local drivers would give me looks and i learnt to ignore because i knew i was driving by the rules. For many years, I drove it to my school that was 20 km away with my little boy sitting behind. The main road was terrible so we would go through a village road full of mud and potholes to save a few minutes. Sometimes, huge trucks would come from front and I would let them pass while waiting on the side. Once, a tractor dashed her on the side and the windshield was shattered but three of us (myself, my son and a close friend) were spared. I took her to the nearest service center and got it fixed without even showing it to anyone at home! She has been my sole companion on the long drives to work and back. I have shared my problems at work place with her. She was was great stress buster because i would engross myself in driving her and would forget the petty issues at work place. I would reach home about 20 min. before the bus and that would make me very happy. She was there when my little boy had to go for piano and karate lessons. I would sit and meditate outside the classes. Or sometimes, i would just sit inside listening to an evening Raga.

In last two months, after more than decade of dedicated service…only twice, she gave up on the road. We had to push her to get her started. Even then, we were not stranded. A few good men were enough to push her and she would start! However, we do not want to take chances. What if she gives up in traffic? 

How can we be so ungrateful to her that we decide to dump her for a new car?

My dear Zen, it is now time to say good bye. But you will always be with me even when you are sold….in the your new Avtar of Estillo. It is with you i really learnt the Art of Driving. I can never forget you. I am sure, they will fix you and you will find loving owners like us.