One day while we were coming back home from town Dad decided to stop at the vegetable garden and do some weeding. The whole family was there with Dad weeding. When we finished with the weeding we all walked across the big front lawn to the house.

We weren't at the house long when dad realized he had left the car at the garden. dad got his keys and was ready to go get the car and bring it home. I thought this would be my chance to show Dad how good of a driver I thought I was. I begged Dad to let me go get the car and drive it home.Dad said, "No." I was a persistant kid. I begged and begged Dad to let me get the car. I told Dad all the reasons he should let me drive. I even told him how good I drove his truck when he wasn't home. Dad was not to happy about my telling him I drove his truck while he was gone but what was he to do? I always put the truck right back in the exact spot it was when he last parked it.

After a while of me jumping up and down and pleading with Dad to let me get the car he finally caved in and said," you can go get the car and drive it down here but you have to drive on the property, don't you take the car on the road." Being the good kid I was, I agreed to what Dad said.

Dad handed me the car keys and I ran out the front door. I could hear Mum yelling at Dad, "Jimmy, have you lost your mind? That kid will wreck that car and kill himself." Dad said, "Vi, he will be alright, he is a good driver, I taught him myself." I took one big leap off the porch steps. as soon as my feet hit the driveway I was running towards the car as fast as I could run.

I heard Shelley running behind me. Shelley called out to me, "George wait I want to ride down with you." I slowed down to let Shelley catch up to me. As soon as Shelley was by my side I started bragging about how Dad trusted me to drive the car. Shelley mentioned how she couldn't believe it.

Shelley and I reached the car. I got into the drivers seat and Shelley got in the front passenger seat. I started the car. The two of us kids were all smiles. We were going for a ride. I started to steer the car towards our driveway but then changed my mind. Shelley asked me, "George, what are you doing?" I said, "I am going to drive down the road." Shelley said, "You better hope Dad is watching you." I stooped the car and glanced down towards the house. I couldn't see Dad so I was all set. I pressed on the gas peddle and crept towards the road. I looked to my left, it was clear. I looked to my right and saw a yellow car way down the road. The car coming up the road was about a mile away but I got nervous. I thought maybe the yellow car coming up the road would see to kids in the car and lose their consintration which would cause them to run their car into ours.

No matter how hard I tried to convince myself I had plenty of time to drive down the road and make it to the house before the other driver reached us, a part of me didn't believe we had enough time. I still only pushed on the gas peddle enough so the car was only creeping along. All of my attention was focused on the yellow car way down the road.

My attention was diverted away from the car coming up the road by Shelleys' screaming. "AHH WATCH OUT GEORGE, LOOK UP!!!" I looked up and hit the breaks as hard as I could. I was surprised, the car didn't stop, instead the car picked up speed. The car suddenly stopped. It was almost in slow motion that I watched the telephone pole fall to the ground. I saw the wires land on the car. I yelled to Shelley, "DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING THERE ARE WIRES ON THE CAR!" I looked to where Shelley was sitting but I was to late with my warning.

Shelley was standing up against the neighbors house crying. I decided if she could get out then I could too. I grabbed the door handle and pushed the car door opened as fast as I could. In no time at all I was standing next to Shelley up against the neighbors house. I was shaking but at least I wasn't shaking and crying like Shelley was.

I looked at Shelleys face. There were tears flowing like a river down her cheeks. Shelley looked at me and said in a long drawn out broken voice, "Oh my God George, Dad is gonna kill you, look what you did to the car." I looked at the car and saw just how bad the damage was. Wow, I believed Dad would kill me too. The car was totaled. The engine was almost in the front seat.

The yellow car I had paid so much attention to was now parked on the side of the road. The driver got out of the car and looked over Dad and Mums totaled Buick.

Shelley kept repeating, "Oh my God George Dad is going to kill you." I was hoping she would shut up because she was starting to make me worry. Dad had never even raised his voice at me before and now here I was, the first time I ever get him mad he is going to kill me. I seemed to have all the luck.

I heard Mum screaming at Dad, "Jimmy, you wouln't think it was so funny if one of the other kids had done that to the car." Phew! Dad was at least laughing. I leaned out from the house and looked around the corner. Dad was crawling on his hands and knees laughing so hard tears were rolling down his face. Mum had tears rolling down her face too but she wasn't laughing like Dad was.

When Mum and Dad got to us they asked if Shelley and I were o.k. we both told them we were o.k. Dad hugged me and I felt my whole body tremble from his laughter. I looked at Mum and Shelley, they too were trembling but not from laughing, they were both crying like babies.

I told Dad the cops were coming. I ran like hell towards the house. dad called out to me, "Son, where are you going?" I screamed back, "I am going to hide under my bed. If the cops ask where I am tell them I ran away. If they find me they will throw me in jail."

I got to my bedroom and watched the cops talking to Dad. I had to pee really bad but I was afraid if I walked past the front door the cops would see me and come put handcuffs on me to take me to jail.

After what seemed like forever the telephone pole was removed, the electrical wires were restrung and the car was towed to the side of the garage for the whole world to see, I was still afraid the cops would be back later to arrest me.

There were some heated conversations in the house for a few days.All of my brothers and sisters made it a point to let me know what would have happened if they had crashed the car. I heard, "You are Dads favorite" over and over again. Mum and Dad had their go-rounds too. Dad would laugh and Mum would cry and then there was me feeling like a complete idiot.It sure did hurt my ego to have to look at the car I destroyed, day afeter day after day I had to walk past the car. No matter what I did to avoid the car there it was. Even today I can still see that brown car with the tan top sitting by the garage with the front end dented in the shape of a hugh V.

Dad would not let any of us drive again for a long-long time. I didn't want to anyway, I had already been the blame of one cars early death and I thought it only fare to give one of my brothers or sisters a shot at the next one. I wouldn't even let anyone in the car with me if I were driving until I turned twenty-one.

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 08, 2002

Answers

George..George..George, and they talk about women drivers!

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), February 08, 2002.

I guess this one falls into the category, "Be careful for what you wish for....you might just get it!"

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), February 08, 2002.

Oh, brother! I bet you don't DARE criticize the driving of anyone in your family, do you?

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 08, 2002.

Oh Boy! I sure wish now I had lied and written Shelley was driving lol I don't normally backseat drive out loud, but in my own silent way I do a lot of backseat driving and you should see me push on the invisable break.

Did I happen to write in the story I was just a little boy when this happened? :-)

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 08, 2002.

Just how old WERE you when this happened, George?

-- Debbie in MO (risingwind@socket.net), February 08, 2002.

Debbie, I was thirteen. I had driven before, just never on the road, and because of the telephone being in my way it would be several more years before I did drive a car, on the road. George

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 09, 2002.

Hey, George, all my cars have one of those brakes too, and I use it a LOT when my husband is driving (I swear he drives everything like it was a fire engine!). But, I come by it naturally -- you ought to take my mom for a ride! I am NOTHING compared to her!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 09, 2002.

George, once again I remember hearing this story, but not remembering it happening. I laughed at this story, just as I do the othter ones. George, think back Carla and I were the only two out of all of us kids that never drove our parents car, and we were the last two to get our license. I still scare myself when driving, and mum scares me also, but don't tell her I said that. love ya

-- Deneen fl (Gradydubose@aol.com), February 09, 2002.

Deneen, do you still sit on the books and have blocks on the peddles, so you can reach them?LOL just joking (I think).

Which Mum are you talking about? I will need to know which one scares you so I can call them and let them know ;-)

Did you know I blamed Shelley for years about the accident? I told everyone the only reason I paniced and put the metal to the floor instead of hitting the breaks was because Shelley screamed and scared me.

I love you too!

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 10, 2002.

Uncle George, i can just imagine growing up with you! if i took the car, the last thing that my dad would do is laugh!!

-- Amanda (carlieraeb@hotmail.com), February 24, 2002.

Hey, Uncle George I think that you do wonderful jobs on your pices of writings. i love all of them miss ya. Love always, Mariah lynn

-- Mariah Neece (myaone@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

Hi Ananda and Mariah! Don't you two decide to start driving yet! I love you both. Uncle George

-- george nh (rcoopwalpole@aol.com), February 28, 2002.