Safe Driving Test
Heaven Admin spent hours and hours with me to make sure I knew what I was doing when I rode Mikey D. uphill and downhill, on city streets, in traffic, in less traffic, on bumpy roads and smooth roads. I could hardly believe it, the time he spent. Two whole afternoons he spent riding ahead of me or behind me or beside me. He didn’t take my safety lightly.
And then, after two days of close supervision, Heaven Admin appeared with a notebook in hand and a stern expression on his face. He had a list of questions for a safe driving test, and he wasn’t kidding around. He became like a guard in a movie.
When I would say something like — I just had to, you understand — “How about supper tonight?” he would say with a straight face: “I am the one who asks questions here.”
Here he is, the kindest person in the world, and he is such a good actor that he became the toughest person in the world. He could have been in uniform, his posture like that of a serious military guard, his facial expression immovable.
He had his notebook with his list of questions. He would flip his notebook like a pro. He had a lot of questions that I had to answer or demonstrate. And he wrote something down after every question but wouldn’t tell me what. It was intense. Heaven Admin left no stone unturned. I had to turn the light on and off, turn on the flashing red light, front and rear. I had to know how to use a bicycle pump. I had to make quick turns. I had to go over bumps and not flinch. Never was there a test so hard and so thorough. It was like my life depended on it.
Let’s back up a little bit. I have to tell you how Heaven Admin would ride Mikey D. He would do wheelies on Mikey D. He would speed and only apply the brakes at the last moment. It’s possible that he even rode without holding the steering wheel while balancing on one foot. He is a daredevil. I, on the other hand, am very cautious. I never ever speed.
All this was immaterial. The question was: Did I pass the test?
The army guard made me wait until the next day to let me know if I passed.
Whew, finally, to my relief, the next morning I received this email:
Dear Tricycle Rider,
Your driving test results have been reviewed and we are glad to inform you that a score of 85 was obtained by one Gloria Wendroff and one Mikey D.
5 points were deducted for forgetting to put the helmet on.
3 were deducted for calling a pedestrian a slang word.
5 were deducted for speeding.
2 were deducted for excessive bling.Happy and safe triking.
The Department of Motortricycle Affairs
Golly, gee, I am a certified trike rider.
Muchas gracias, Heaven Admin. You did it!
Godwriting is a blog by Gloria Wendroff and is about Gloria's daily life as the Godwriter of the Heavenletters project that is having a profound effect on the lives of people around the world.
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