Happy Turkey Day, continued

Danny skidded into the bowling alley just as we were starting the second game. He grabbed the heaviest ball (I’m making this up) and bowled a turkey (I’m not making that up). I high-fived him after each strike and we all had a really great time. Actually a better time than I thought we would have. The lane next to us even asked us to settle down, we were being so loud. As if we could quiet the strikes and accidentally dropping our bowling balls.

Afterwards we all went out into the parking lot to find that it had started to snow. Not a lot, but a little glaze of it covered the windshield. Dad handed me the keys. “Want to practice?”

The parking lot was nearly empty. I took a deep breath that said now or never. I got in and turned on the wipers to clear a see-hole. Mindy waved at me. I put the car into D and felt the power of the accelerator through my gym shoe. I barely touched the pedal and the car lurched forward. All my training had been on class simulators. Dalton gave me a thumb’s up as I inched along. I circled the parking lot a bunch of times each time feeling less and less scared and out of control and a little more a part of the machine. My hands were at 10 and 2. A sweaty 10 and 2, but at least my knuckles were beginning to relax. Danny saluted me after I made another circuit. Dad and James clapped and jumped up and down. I think they were cold.

Then things got a little crazy.

I mean I really did know how to drive; I just needed to settle down. I gave the car a little gas and jerked the steering wheel almost a full turn by slamming on the brakes. The back end of the car swung clear around.

YESSSS, I was doing donuts!

Torrence whooped and did his butt dance. My heart was racing. Everyone piled in and Dad let me drive home. First we dropped of Danny. When I let him off he leaned in through the open window (We’d had to crack a window to get air in the car because the windows were fogging up. Too many people, I guess.) and said, “Thanks for the ride James.”