Hello steemians and happy weekend!!!
Well last week was one week I was happy with my achievements on steemit .... you know why?, my post was featured on OCD!!! well I don't know if it was hardwork or luck played a part too but it just happened and I'm glad it came at the right time thanks to #promo-mentors, 
Alright to the business of the day.....
There's a saying "for whatever you learn it's not a waste". That's why it's good to try new things everyday, that's why it's good to diversify, to learn an art because you don't know you might need it the next second and you end up regretting your entire life/chances wasted!!
So I was done with high school and moved to stay with my aunty. For the neutrals I was still a very small kid and maybe it was true cos everything that was in my head was book, book and book... I think food and nutrition took about 75% of the brain back then lol.
Two weeks into my break I overheard my aunt enquiring from the husband that I should learn how to drive a car considering I was the eldest among the kids at home and sometimes the husband leaves early to work and comes home late thereby leaving all the work for her. Starting from preparing the kids for school, driving them down there, preparing breakfast for both the husband and kids, and also preparing herself for work too. You could imagine the stress.Sometimes she had to leave for work late and tired so she suggested atleast I could help in dropping the kids at school,picking them back home and also running chores using the car.
Things started heating up at home because at first the husband said "no" owing to the fact that I'm too young and can't even see the road from the steering but the wife insisted I could make it owing to the fact that both cars were automated cars and not manually driven.
Finally the ball was in my court!! "Peter, can you drive a car, are you ready, have you drove a car before?" my uncle asked. Many thoughts ran through my mind you know as a young lad you aren't sure of most things talkless of decision making but hey I've been winning car race(s) on "Grand Theft" and "James Bond" so why not??
I think they both saw how tensed I was at that point so aunty suggested I was given time till night to finally come up with a decision.... a 16-year old boy. What caught my attention was aunty coming back to my room to ask me why I'm hesitating?? Seriously I don't know why she kept persisting maybe her primary aim was to relieve the work load on herself so finally I said "yes" to aunty, I could see her smile.
Evening came faster than everyone thought, I heard the honk which I rolled the gate and welcome uncle home. After dinner that night I was summoned by uncle in the presence of the wife and he repeated himself but this time I said "YES!" Like every other person would likely react I could see he was shocked and turned to look at aunty which by then was guessing on the ceiling. "well if that's what you say I'll make a call to the driver... You are starting tomorrow, go get ready" and that's how I retired to my room.
For most parts of that night I couldn't find sleep. Thoughts of accidents, injuries, casualties and the rest kept replaying in my head. Finally it downed on me this is real life and there's no "you are dead, try again??". I don't know when I finally slept but I got a tap on the back "wake up the driver is here".
After morning activities(which aunty made sure I was limited to some of them that morning) we hit the road using aunty's car. Well the first day wasn't bad, I learnt how to use the back and side mirror, how to use the trafficator, how to accelerate and apply break then we were back home. I was very happy with myself atleast the fear started wearing off and I was glad finally I was taking the lead.
We hit the road on the second day this time around we were a bit early and my uncle noticed there was no "Learner's sign (L)" attached to the back and front of the car which he questioned the driver as to why but he got a reply that "Oga the way Peter drove yesterday he doesn't need an "L" sign". I was happy within atleast I was getting things right. So the second day I was thought on positioning, using my lane properly, making U-turns and also applying breaks too which I was still having issues and then we retired back home late in the evening.
I never knew the reason for the intensity of the training not untill the third day the driver told my aunt he got a work far away and he promised himself I must drive this car within a week as he is leaving next week!! Well even me I was shocked considering my aunt took 3months yet still she can't go out at night. But this was kept far away from my uncle's ear so my aunty now replied "very well then, but make sure he drives before you leave". The third day was the most exhausting day of the training, we had to go for morning and night session.
That morning I was thought on the basic parts of the engine... How to refill oil, water, hydraulics, and of course the washer before we set off to the road. Today I wasn't told anything just "Drive!!". I was shaken at first but after 10-20 minutes of making turns and keeping to my lane, accelerating better I had another command... "make a U-turn and hit the busy road!!" I was like "what!! No no please". How can I drive for just two days and the third day I'm taking on tankers, trucks, vans, hold-ups and the rest?? But I had another command...."hit the busy road!! " and this time I obliged, atleast if I was dying, I'm not going alone!!!
The focus I used on the road that afternoon was 200% I never wanted my uncle to be dissapointed for once and nagging at my aunt so I was extremely careful and luckily I passed the test!!, you needed to see how I was heading home like Jason Stratham on a mission that day lol. So the night session came and this was the toughest!! If not for anything, the lights in my eyes I couldn't cope with them. I was now unsure of the accelerator and brake, looking for lights to know where I could fix the park and the drive gear button, the lights now came in three phases.... The front the back and the side mirror. I was blinded lol so I handed over the wheel he drove and I observed what he did and we went back. Tired and exhausted I retired to bed.
Then the day came.....
As my new routine I woke up early trying to help out on one or two chores but I got a message from my aunt "sorry the driver is busy today and said he won't make it". Well I was happy I had to rest atleast for today not after all those lights in my eye almost got me blind yesterday. So uncle went out, I took the car to a shop not far away to get items for fried rice, and came back... Aunt was so happy at this. We were done, I went to watch movies and later that night uncle came back and we took rice for dinner and I retired to my room.
This is one family that loves keeping to themselves, no maid, not too many friends that's why we were only 5 in that big house. I used to come just when I'm done with my end of the term exams just to help them out and never knew my uncle was diagnosed with high blood pressure and asthma. Well maybe he was using his medication well or I was too young back then to notice.
10pm I heard a scream..... "Peter rush to my room!!!" I just woke up and wasn't sure if it was in the dream but then I heard another shout. I rushed to thier room and found uncle lying helplessly on the floor. "what's wrong??" I asked. That's when aunty told me everything in brief that this was the main reason she insisted I learn to drive. "But aunty have you called someone??", she replied saying everyone she knew were far away and it's too late and even the driver that could have responded is in another state with his line not going through. "Peter you have to drive that car else your uncle might not make it please!!".
Well I summoned courage... This is me that never drove before at night saying "let's go!!". We managed to get him in the car, I rushed to open the gate and guess what happened??... it started raining!!. We turned and looked at ourselves, I could see tears rolling down her cheeks but no, winners never quit and quitters never win so I told her "are you getting in or not??" ....... Off we went!!
So that night I wasn't only facing lights, I faced rain, trying to use the wipers, guessing where the drainage is so we don't slip in, driving on a slippery road, cleaning the inner glass from fogs and lots more. She turned the instructor while I drove. It took 30minutes before we could get to the hospital which the emergency came to pick him from the back seat and they rushed inside the hospital!!
I couldn't get out of the car, I was stuck in the steering recapping how a 16-years old boy who knew nothing about a car in real life just completed a journey under the rain in a rough topography with rough drivers, rain, and maneuvering past lights to get someone to the hospital at about 11:40pm? What if I never came after my exams?, what if I never challenged myself to the task? What if I shyed away like most kids could have done, this is how we could have witnessed...... Just then I heard a knock on the window which I wind down and saw aunty with umbrella saying " thank you darling, your uncle is now stable".
Well since that day I've gone on to learn over 12 new things I never would have imagined myself learning. Definitely the inspiration came from that night, I've learnt to shurn procrastination even to the point of multitasking lol. But the truth is it comes in handy one way or the other. One day you never know when you might need what you learnt.
