She had never been an avid driver. When everyone else was looking forward to turning fifteen and a half so they could get their learners’ permits, she could have cared less. Her dad put her behind the wheel only once. She just couldn’t get the hang of it.
The required drivers’ ed class in high school terrified her. All they did was sit around and watch horror movies like Signal 30. She was scared enough after witnessing a horrible car accident involving a hopped up Chevy and a small boy about the same age as her brother. The boy was killed and carried away by the coroner.
She was usually dating older guys and could get rides whenever. But she finally had to learn to drive out of necessity. When her kids were small, she was living the life of a pack horse. Seriously, one in the front pack, one in the back pack, a diaper bag, a book bag, a gym bag, groceries…. and a bus pass. She was the Amazon Sherpa!
She had a Red Flyer wagon that she used sometimes to haul laundry or groceries. Heaven forbid it rained! She had a poncho type rain cape that covered everything and everybody if need be. The buses took too long, and she couldn’t carry everything! She either needed a covered wagon and a donkey or a car.
How could she resist? Her first car was a horse of a different color. It was an old beat up VW Bug. “Camelia” was purchased for the mere sum of $350. It had a different colored fender over each tire, a light blue body, and a little red engine hood.
Now there was just one problem. Learning to drive. She got a friend to give her some lessons and because she was highly motivated, she learned. She did have one oddity. She could only drive barefoot… Oh, and she did not have a drivers’ license.
She got pulled over one night for a broken tail light with both toddlers in their jammies in the back seat. The officer gave her a warning and a fix it ticket. “I’ll be checking up on you to see that you’ve got this license taken care of,” he warned.
She got her license the next week. She was very nervous. She still didn’t have the hang of parallel parking or freeway driving. The examiner took one look at Camelia and heaved a heavy sigh as he scrunched himself into the shotgun seat with his clip board. He directed her to drive around the block on a few side streets and gave her a pass.
That little car got her through child rearing and college and into the work force. Camelia hauled kids, groceries, bricks, camping equipment, hay for chickens, and gardening supplies. Camelia made it all the way to Reno and down to LA. She managed the hills of San Francisco and the winds on HWY 5.
The kids had to help push to get Camelia started sometimes, but she ran. After two fender benders (not her fault), she decided to sell. She got $550. Camelia…VW Amazon Sherpa – Sometimes she wished she still had that car.
(First published 12/12/11)
