As I was driving yesterday, I noticed in front me of an exact replica of Max's truck, which is sitting up at Ft. Lewis with its battery disconnected while he's deployed.
I was at a stoplight behind this silver Dodge truck (whose camper shell was actually a bit smaller than Max's - many of his colleagues made fun of Max for his camper shell but he loved how much he could fit in the back of his truck - I, on the other hand, thought it made parallel parking terribly inconvenient), remembering the two years that I drove Max's truck around Savannah, GA.
One evening I was driving Max and a few guys from his battalion to Broughton Street (downtown Savannah). After spotting a perfect parking place, I pulled up to situate myself in the parallel parking position. One of the guys started laughing, totally underestimating my parking capability in this truck. "This is a breeze," I laughed, glaring back at him in the rear view mirror, "I have nothing but room." "It's true, she can drive this truck pretty well," Max defended me.
I would have said "very well" over "pretty well," though.
Sure enough, I eased right into that parking place. "Wow, you really can drive this truck," that same guy said, surprised. "Of course I can, I learned to drive in San Francisco. You should have seen me with the stick shift on Divisadero Street (a very steep hill for those readers not familiar with SF)."
Another time, I was leaving the parking lot of my school when I noticed my principal waving behind me. I gave him a wave back as I pulled out to the main road. The next day, in the faculty meeting after school, he, in front of everyone, pointed to me and said, "Georgie, was that you driving that enormous truck I was behind yesterday? You actually drive that thing?" Feeling my face turn red as everyone else looked my way, I held up my keys and said, "I sure do."
In honor of the huge, reliable, gas-guzzling truck, I've posted a photo taken by my friend Brook, who proclaimed that we indeed had to document the truck's existence for our memory book....and for those who might never believe that I actually drove it.
I had forgotten how enormous Max's truck is!! Driving around with you in Savannah -- with you behind the wheel of the biggest rig I've been in -- was truly an experience! And whoever doubts your parallel parking abilities... I only wish I had a photo of us on Divisadero, circa 1994 :)
ReplyDeletePS -- There is often a silver truck with shell (a bit smaller than Max's...) parked on my block in NYC. I'm not sure who needs a car, let alone a camper shell!, in Manhattan, but it's a really nice reminder of Max, so I'm always happy to see it.