I Took A Drive Away

What’s the most time you’ve ever spent apart from your favorite person? Tell us about it.

You know one of those moment in a movie where the main character rolls out into a night drive lazying around without any specific destination?

Let me tell you, it’s the most fantastic feeling ever!

I’m currently learning how to drive a manual car, and boy do I have to tell you, it is challenging af! It takes lots of patience too, with how many times I keep on turning off the car. I pity the squeaky engine that is my brother’s old car. I’ve only ever tried to ride Agya (the car) twice, both with supervision, and so far I’ve only mastered the first and second gear.

Now, you see, I am pretty much a Kevin from Home Alone. What with my brother studying abroad in Japan, my little brother off to boarding school, my mother’s work moving her to Batam, and my father hours away from home for his rice business, I was pretty much alone last night.

And mind you, this was going to be a constant thing.

Being lonely and bored, last night at nine, I decided to tempt fate and learn  how to drive the car–without supervision this time. I was already contemplating with the idea for about two hours before I eventually slapped some courage to my guts.

The first thing I did was grab the car key and put a pair of flats on (this was right after I made sure my father won’t be home for another 30 minutes). It was around 9.15. I got outside, it was dark, and immediately turned the engine on.

I got that part down right away.

The second thing I did was thinking how the hell was I supposed to get the car out of its parked state. I let go of the hand break and slowly, carefully, and painfully slowly, tried to get the car out from the backside. That was the first time I ever used the reverse gear.

A car might have had to wait for good three minutes before it can pass the road, waiting for me to get Agya from blocking three-quarter of the road.

After Agya was positioned with it’s front side facing the clear road, I started to hit the pedal with the tip of my toes ever so slowly. This was something I was more familiar of. I easily made a few rounds around my house complex with ease.

The third challenge was when I decided to learn reverse again. I parked Agya with whatever ability I had and succeeded ( I was very happy with this). The challenging part was when I had to drive it backwards. Boy, I tell you. It was not an easy task. I must have had turned him off for more than five times for not being able to break properly with the manual car.

I spent 10 minutes figuring out the whole mechanics out.

After I succeeded (barely), I decided to use reverse again. This time in an empty road. Still, I tell you, it was difficult to do it without turning the engine off.

Eventually, despite the much needed therapeutic rebellious feeling and adrenaline, I decided to do one last round before going back home. I already knew I was in no way capable of parking a car properly (especially when there was another vehicle beside the space), but I wasn’t entirely too worried about being caught.

I was gonna tell eventually anyway, I suck at lying to my parents.

So I simply parked Agya on the side of the road right outside my house, or at least I was trying to–

–until I realized there was an oh-so-familiar white Outlander car giving a sign that it wanted to get into the parking space in my house.

Crap. Father was home.

I was far too happy from the sense of adrenaline rush and freedom to be worried, but I certainly did fumbled and turned the engine off. I stepped out from the car, realizing I hadn’t turned off the lamp, got into the car, turned off the lamp, got out of the car, met my father, threw him an innocent grin, passed him the key, and ran inside.

It was safe to say that I stormed into my room grinning ear to ear.

It was such a refreshing feeling! God, who knew it could be so therapeutic for the body? It also gave the very much needed adrenaline rush, and I was definitely not bored and lonely after the experience.

Then I realized I forgot my phone inside Agya, and so I made my way downstairs, until my father gave me a look as I met him in the stair as he handed me my phone.

I grinned again, this time more guilty than before.

He frowned, gave a me a half-hearted scolding, and let me return to my room.

All in all, it was a nice feeling. It allowed me to get my head out of the brooding since I needed to completely focus to not hit anything. It was a nice distraction, and I liked it. I liked not having to wonder when everyone was going to be home.

The day after, which was today, I of course did get the scolding I very much deserved from my Mother for not asking and permission and sneaking out all on my own. But hey, who am I to be upset? She’s home, my little brother’s home, and my father’s home. It’s not so much of an empty home again, and I can relish this moment until everyone leaves again.

Here’s to being a Gryffindor

In response to: My Favorite