The drive.... (part 3)

(please access parts one and two of this fabulous and nail-biting adventure before reading below...)

Day 3

With sick stomachs, swollen eyes, and weary heads, we four headed once again, for the third time in a week, to the driver's licensing station.

Kerianne and I prayed for course B. Todd and Justin, both male, and in the lead for passing, didn't care either way. Todd, the zen master, was bound to score due to his calm nature, impressive demeanor, and fluent Japanese tongue. Justin, who is a master of all trades, was bound to pass just because he is Justin. Kerianne, who was reduced to tears during practice runs, and myself, who heard nary an encouraging word about my excellent driving skills, knew we were doomed. But course B it was for us four.

Zen-master Todd agreed to go first, which was probably a bad idea for the rest of us. He smoothly finessed the course with ease, and as the Japanese instructor debriefed to our translator after his run, he secretly translated himself, and informed us that the instructor had paid him a complement, a rare, rare occurence in Japan. If only one of us was going to pass today, we had decided it was going to be Todd.

Kerianne, nervous-as, but confident, went as well. Although a bit slow, she did very well, and in the debriefing, the translator, whom Kerianne was fortunate enough to have had the night before, informed the Japanese instructor that the previous night's practice instructor had been impressed with her driving skills. One point for Kerianne.

Justin just did it. That was all there was. He just did it.

Now as for me, I myself am not a zen-master, nor did I have the confidence of Justin, or the kind words from any translator (and even if he had been there, he still would have found some way to put me down!) that Kerianne had. I knew, that of all four of us, I would be the only one to fail...

One thing I did well? I remembered the EXACT order of operation upon entry of the car (and if you think I'm joking about exact, I am not:

lock the door,
adjust your seat,
adjust the mirror with your LEFT HAND ONLY,
fasten seatbelt,
footbrake,
turn on car,
shift into drive,
release emergency brake,
indicator,
look left, right, left,
and
pull out, parallel, while missing the curb.

Although my driving was ok, I did miss an indicator during one turn, and forgot to check for bikers two times. I just knew I was doomed. The wait time between test and results was torture - three hours to wait, wondering, just to find out, as I was sure, that I had failed.

(is this dramatic enough for you yet??!)