It was my fiction class on Wednesday night and my husband was out of town. Usually he drives me and picks me up from class, only this time I thought I could handle it on my own. I should mention something, we sold our BMW ( not economy friendly) and all we have is Matthews massive black chevy work truck. Its a beast!
My class is in Haight in residential San Francisco and my class starts at 7.30 prompt. I figured I'd get there an hour early, find a space and sit and study for class- I was late with my homework. Easy.
PIcture an 32 week pregnant lady behind wheel of Kick Ass Black Truck, it measures the length of two elephants, not to mention the elephant behind the wheel. A recipe for disaster? Hell no!
I drive around and around, the light really fading, negotiating pedestrians and small dogs and lamp posts and one way streets and hills. DId I mention those damn hills? It was a joke.
Forty five mins I drove in circles trying to squeeze my truck 'ass' into ridiculous space after another. It reminded me of Gracie who's thirteen months struggling to fit a triangle block into a circle hole. 'Honey? It ain't going to happen'. But still I tried, in front of bus queues of people laughing and in front of restaurants with faces pressed to the glass. I eventually found a spot I was already 10 minutes late and I didn't care. I am stubborn, I refuse to give up. I waddle up the 3 flights of stairs and a cup of calmomile tea later I felt the victory surge inside me. 'I did It'
Half an hour later, while doing a dialogue exercise, I ponder on just how easy that last space was. It was right down the street from class and I had been driving all over. I mentioned it to my teacher. 'Its not in front of the fire hydrant on Oak, is it?' she looked at me with pity.
'Fire Hydrant? We don't have them in Britain? What stupid rule is that?!!' I said my goodbyes and ran to the truck narrowly escaping a towing and pulled myself up into the seat ( there's no stepladder- a design fault)
I drove home cursing the stupid truck and let my nanny go home early and put myself to bed at 9 30. My hormones raging. I settled after an hour and after my husbands apologies and the promise of a family car before baby no 2 arrives. Hey at least you got out of your homework' he replied happily. He had a point.
Recent Comments