My Mom And The Truck

Our family has been putting together a cook book for our church and we had finished printing everything else but the cover. The cover was just trying to be difficult, I'm sure, but we had to print it in order to be finished by Christmas day when we planned to give it out. So, morning comes around, I get up and Mom informs me we need to go finish it. So we get all ready and walk outside to realized my dear beloved father had parked his pickup behind the van. Now anyone who knows my mother, knows she can't drive a stick. She used to but after flipping it (I think there might have been pigs involved) she decided not to anymore. But guess what? Dad is still in bed. Brilliant idea! Mom will try it! It may have been an idea but whether it was a great one is debatable.

So, she gets the keys, gets behind the wheel and puts the key in. Nothing. She sits there and stares for awhile and then gets back out. I look at her questioningly and she answers, "I can't remember how to start it."

We walk back inside, Mom deep in thought of how to fix this. Our neighbor, who was going to help us print the cover, would be meeting us down there any time and we needed to get the pickup moved. She spots my brother. Light bulb! "Hay, Peter, do you know how to start the pickup?"

I can't remember exactly how he put it but it was something along the lines of, "Of course I know how to start the truck." He gave us the exact same look he gave me when I couldn't get the tractor started because I forgot to turn the key. It was the look that said, "How could you possibly not know something so simple?"

So, Peter comes out and instructs our mother on what to do. I told him he'd better get in the other side just in case. So he gets in and they talk a little bit and then they start backing down the hill. You will never believe what the last thing I heard Mom say was. "Where's the brake?"

So I stood there, on the porch, watching my twelve year old brother and my mother drive away with the driver having no knowledge of where the brake is. I think it is sufficent to say I was now wide awake.

They got to the bottom of the hill/driveway and my mother did something. I'm still not sure what. But the truck made a very bad noise and died. My brother looked totally exasperated. Rolling his eyes, he got out and pushed it into place rather than try again with Mom.

So, even us farm people can have troubles. I guess some people think we're super heroes and know everything but that isn't true. My mom can pull two baby goats when they're trying to come out at the same time, but don't ask her to drive a stick.

Love you always, Mom!

Mandy