Learner Driver
(Уроки вождения)

Maggie hit the brakes and brought the car screeching to a halt. She had overshot the give-way lines. Cars whizzed by, honking reproachfully. Paul looked shaken.

‘Keep your eyes on the road, will you,’ he quavered.

Maggie nodded, biting her lip. Twenty minutes into the driving lesson, and it hadn’t been going well. She engaged gear and turned left.

‘Your indicator-light,’ reminded Paul, ‘use it, that’s what it’s there for.’

Maggie scrabbled for the switch but by then she had already completed the turn. Paul sighed and reached across to flick back the spindly lever. Please let this driving lesson go well, prayed Maggie silently.

She’d really started to like Paul and didn’t want to lose him. He was the kind of man she could fall in love with.

‘Slow down, the lights are changing. You’ll hit the car in front.’

Maggie’s foot flew off the accelerator and onto the brake. Paul hung on for dear life of the car slewed to a stop.

‘Sorry, Paul. You made me nervous by shouting,’ explained Maggie.

Paul’s eyes bulged.

‘I made you nervous!’ he demanded, ‘what do you think you’ve been doing this past half-hour? Serenading me with violins?’

‘You don’t have to talk to me like that,’ wailed Maggie, ‘we can stop if you’re fed up.’

‘No, it’s all right.’ Paul’s hands made soothing gestures. ‘Just take it easy, okay?’

Maggie tore her fascinated gaze from a steadily throbbing pulse on his forehead. Everything had seemed so perfect when she had met Paul fortnight ago. She’d seen his luxury flat, listened all about his fabulous holidays and marvelled at his career prospects. Yes, he had seemed quite a catch.

But a girl needed more, and Paul hadn’t disappointed her. He’d been sensitive to her moods, so kind and attentive. He made her laugh so easily and could send her pulse racing with a single look.

Paul broke into her thoughts.

‘You’re wandering,’ he pointed out, ‘Move over or you’ll end up on the wrong side of the road.’

That’s more like it, thought Maggie as she righted the car. He had taken care to pitch his voice low to avoid alarming her.

‘All right now, Paul?’ She glanced at him anxiously for a smile of approval.

‘Just look out in front, will you,’ he muttered tensely. ‘Can you see that police car parked on the side? I know it’s a tall order, but try not to hit it.’

Maggie absorbed the insult. Mind you, her previous boyfriend Steve had been much the same. All the while he’d kept wondering aloud if his life insurance contributions were up to date. He didn’t want to leave his widowed mother penniless.

And before him there had been Alan. He worked in a hospital. After giving her a driving lesson Alan had offered to fix her up with a free brain scan. Of all the nerve!

But she was much more attracted to Paul, which is why she could forgive him a lot more. His brown hair was so curly and his blue eyes crinkled so sweetly when he smiled. If he smiled!

At times like this memories of her father came flooding back. The way he would explain her sums to her when she was little. Not even raising his voice when she got them wrong again. He’d never scolded or humiliated her.

One Christmas morning she’d eaten too much chocolate and got sick all down his best suit – just as they had been setting off to church. He’d stayed behind to clean up, not one harsh word escaping his lips.

And once she’d borrowed his torch batteries to power her walking-talking dolly, and ran them right down. Dad had only shaken his head rather wearily.

Not that he was a wimp. He was well over six foot, a much feared and respected village policeman.

There was a loud bang.

Paul yelled in terror as his side of the car angled crazily upwards. Maggie swung back the steering wheel and the car thumped onto the road. She had mounted the pavement, briefly but at speed. Paul’s jaw hung open, his face white as a sheet.

‘Are you blind?’ he ranted. ‘Or were you day-dreaming about the lottery?’ He blew out his cheeks before lighting up with sudden inspiration. ‘No, I know,’ he continued, ‘it’s your hairdo, you were planning a new style.’ His tone became confidential. ‘Or was it some juicy little scandal at the office you’d been recalling?’

‘I… I’m sorry, Paul,’ faltered Maggie, ‘I guess I wasn’t thinking.’

‘Yes, you weren’t thinking,’ agreed Paul. ‘Now I wonder why that doesn’t surprise me.’

His tone was scathing and Maggie felt a lump in her throat. With a sinking heart she realised that this was the real Paul, the side of himself that he had kept hidden all through his courtship these past two weeks. Maggie pulled over and switched off the engine.

‘Can you take me back, Paul? I think I’ve had enough,’ she told him as she wiped away a tear. Fair is fair, she reflected, she had given him a fright or two, and after all it was his car. But didn’t she matter to him more than that?

Paul looked somewhat chastened by her distress. But he didn’t hide his relief at regaining control of his car. Silently they drove back to the office where Maggie worked.

‘Just there will do fine, thank you.’ Maggie pointed to where he could drop her off.

‘Cheer up, you’ll get better one day,’ jollied Paul. ‘Now, dinner tomorrow?’ he asked with a bright smile.

‘Thanks, but no, Paul. In fact I think we’d better call it a day, don’t you? We’d never make it as a couple when the going gets tough, so why waste each other’s time?’

Paul looked offended. Of course, she’d dented the poor man’s ego.

‘Come on, don’t be silly, Maggie,’ he called as she got out. ‘You need someone to teach you to drive, remember?’

Maggie paused and looked back.

‘I said I wanted a driving lesson. I never said I couldn’t drive, my father taught me that years ago. But it’s amazing how much you can learn about a man in just one driving lesson.’

As Paul stared after her Maggie walked to a smart little Mini, unlocked the door and got in. The engine came to life and she made a perfect three-point turn before gliding out into heavy traffic.

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