This morning as I came to work, there was a learner ahead of me. Oh it brought back many memories of my times at driving school. Looking back, I think its God who just protected me on the road.
After secondary school, my mum was determined that her daughter would not stay home idle and so I enrolled for college and part time for driving classes. I was not even interested in driving but my mum said its important to learn how to drive just incase of an emergency. So I started my classes which I don't vividly remember but I recall that my instructor threatened that I buy him"lunch". Oh the naive Sylvia thought it was actual lunch and I argued with him because being a student at the time, I ate very cheap lunch, huko Luthuli because our college was close by. Imagine he told me not to come to class unless I bring the lunch.
So the nice me who was not about to bribe went home and prepared a hot dog in the microwave and placed it inside a roll, topped up with ketchup sealed it very well with aluminum foil and excitedly went for my driving class. As we drove he asked for his "lunch" and I gladly removed the hot dog. The man was so shocked and I told him that's all I had.
Many times as we drove he would ask me to listen to the engine and hear it asking me to change the gear because believe me I could drive on gear 1 all through. So I tried so hard to listen to the engine's call and I couldn't hear, I thought he must have been a guru, only later to actually hear the sound. The lessons continued and as we neared the driving test, he asked that we bribe to get the driving license and to pass the exam.
Oh Sylvia, was never going to bribe. I told him that I couldn't bribe and that I would rather re-sit the driving test. He was so furious at this ignorant girl, and quarrelled me. Infact he told me " you want to give these asians in the driving school more money by resitting the classes and the driving test?". He asked for my mum's telephone number so that he could talk with her and I categorically told him, my mother was not the problem, I was not about to bribe for the exam.
Well, as you all know practice makes perfect and so one day my mum gave me her car to test before my exams. Can you believe I couldn't even turn the key? She was mad and wondered what driving lessons I was attending. Anyways , the day of exam came and we went to Ruaraka. I knew my weaknesses by then ,I couldn't balance a car on a hill, neither could I do a 3 point turn and not to mention reversing. I prayed that I would be the first one and my prayer was answered. The car was parked so strategically I smile, it was facing the exit, my work was just to start. The police man sat at the co-drivers and told me to start. Ok,I started and attempted to join Thika road from the police station. There was an oncoming matatu which was going to the bus stop and I wanted to join the road. I had seen the car but think the policeman panicked, he literally dived for the stirring wheel and asked" msichana unatake kutuua(Young girl you want to kill us). He asked me to park at Utalii hotel and the next person was to enter. Ideally at that point you were either told you have passed or failed. If you passed you go back to the police station and await an interim driving license, if not you go back to driving school. So he didn't tell me yes or no and by faith I went back all this time crossing my fingers that my name is on the list. Finally,I was called and I got my license.
Well,I remember I met Emma at the bus stop and gave her my testimony, at that time I didn't even know her to well but needed to share my victorious testimony. The ones who were shocked were my family. Why because I did some driving tests with them on Sundays on our way to church and everyone used to be terrified. My younger sister was the only one who couldn't pretend because of her age and every time she saw me on the driver's seat she would cry hysterically and ask to be taken to the toilet. When my mum drove, she was very relaxed. They remind me to date how the whole household would show me how to reverse.It was quite dramatic.
After the test, I took about 2 years to drive, why because I was just scared to drive on the road. I recall Safaricom had a valentines offer and I loaded my uncle, small sister and house girl and we drove to the shops, we didn't find the scratch cards and decided to drive on Thika road. Oh dear Lord, Sylvia and night driving bad mistake. Well, we reached Safari park hotel by God's grace, the car developed some mechanical problem and hence I couldn't stop completely but we got home safe somehow. Anyways with time my courage increased and at my pace I got to where I was going.
So seeing the lady learner this morning, I could empathize with her, whenever I started being impatient behind her, I thought to myself, remember where you came from Sylvia. We all have a starting point and should give others a chance. So I relaxed and wished her well as she finished her morning driving class.
After secondary school, my mum was determined that her daughter would not stay home idle and so I enrolled for college and part time for driving classes. I was not even interested in driving but my mum said its important to learn how to drive just incase of an emergency. So I started my classes which I don't vividly remember but I recall that my instructor threatened that I buy him"lunch". Oh the naive Sylvia thought it was actual lunch and I argued with him because being a student at the time, I ate very cheap lunch, huko Luthuli because our college was close by. Imagine he told me not to come to class unless I bring the lunch.
So the nice me who was not about to bribe went home and prepared a hot dog in the microwave and placed it inside a roll, topped up with ketchup sealed it very well with aluminum foil and excitedly went for my driving class. As we drove he asked for his "lunch" and I gladly removed the hot dog. The man was so shocked and I told him that's all I had.
Many times as we drove he would ask me to listen to the engine and hear it asking me to change the gear because believe me I could drive on gear 1 all through. So I tried so hard to listen to the engine's call and I couldn't hear, I thought he must have been a guru, only later to actually hear the sound. The lessons continued and as we neared the driving test, he asked that we bribe to get the driving license and to pass the exam.
Oh Sylvia, was never going to bribe. I told him that I couldn't bribe and that I would rather re-sit the driving test. He was so furious at this ignorant girl, and quarrelled me. Infact he told me " you want to give these asians in the driving school more money by resitting the classes and the driving test?". He asked for my mum's telephone number so that he could talk with her and I categorically told him, my mother was not the problem, I was not about to bribe for the exam.
Well, as you all know practice makes perfect and so one day my mum gave me her car to test before my exams. Can you believe I couldn't even turn the key? She was mad and wondered what driving lessons I was attending. Anyways , the day of exam came and we went to Ruaraka. I knew my weaknesses by then ,I couldn't balance a car on a hill, neither could I do a 3 point turn and not to mention reversing. I prayed that I would be the first one and my prayer was answered. The car was parked so strategically I smile, it was facing the exit, my work was just to start. The police man sat at the co-drivers and told me to start. Ok,I started and attempted to join Thika road from the police station. There was an oncoming matatu which was going to the bus stop and I wanted to join the road. I had seen the car but think the policeman panicked, he literally dived for the stirring wheel and asked" msichana unatake kutuua(Young girl you want to kill us). He asked me to park at Utalii hotel and the next person was to enter. Ideally at that point you were either told you have passed or failed. If you passed you go back to the police station and await an interim driving license, if not you go back to driving school. So he didn't tell me yes or no and by faith I went back all this time crossing my fingers that my name is on the list. Finally,I was called and I got my license.
Well,I remember I met Emma at the bus stop and gave her my testimony, at that time I didn't even know her to well but needed to share my victorious testimony. The ones who were shocked were my family. Why because I did some driving tests with them on Sundays on our way to church and everyone used to be terrified. My younger sister was the only one who couldn't pretend because of her age and every time she saw me on the driver's seat she would cry hysterically and ask to be taken to the toilet. When my mum drove, she was very relaxed. They remind me to date how the whole household would show me how to reverse.It was quite dramatic.
After the test, I took about 2 years to drive, why because I was just scared to drive on the road. I recall Safaricom had a valentines offer and I loaded my uncle, small sister and house girl and we drove to the shops, we didn't find the scratch cards and decided to drive on Thika road. Oh dear Lord, Sylvia and night driving bad mistake. Well, we reached Safari park hotel by God's grace, the car developed some mechanical problem and hence I couldn't stop completely but we got home safe somehow. Anyways with time my courage increased and at my pace I got to where I was going.
So seeing the lady learner this morning, I could empathize with her, whenever I started being impatient behind her, I thought to myself, remember where you came from Sylvia. We all have a starting point and should give others a chance. So I relaxed and wished her well as she finished her morning driving class.
Comments
I failed the test once and i cried the whole evening...i still don't know why i cried to date...may be i was wondering how i will go back to the guka to teach me again...it was an old old pick up...ha! I made it the second time anyway...yes, we have all come from far!
And when my brother (your hubby) tried to teach me, we would fight most of the time, at one point, i stormed out of the car and told him i will walk home, which i did! He drove off...ha!
By the way I also wouldn't teach Samara or any person how to drive, I would rather they go to driving school,because one gets so annoyed while teaching a relative. Ama its me alone?
I can't remember what it was that made me not look forward to my driving lessons. I just couldn't wait for them to end. My instructor constantly talked about how he learnt German and how he hoped to get a job in Germany some day. He used to try to teach me a few german words (that I didn't care for then!). By the end of the first week he was starting to sound like a broken record. Needless to say, I couldn't remember a single word - what with the anxiety of trying not to run over pedestrians or hit other motorists ...there was no room for cramming other things - esp. when he made me drive at 140KPH on Mombasa road on day three...and was busy trying to make me relax with his german lessons!
Sly, I think what's amazing about your story is how God actually came through and answered your very specific prayer request that you were the first one to drive. What are the odds?! Small miracles indeed!
Somehow the driving instructors have big dreams. Mine actually took me to some place(kileleshwa or lavington) and started saying how his rich relative lives there. Maybe they just want someone to affirm them.