If you have a mum like mine, you had better be prepared when you get i

If you have a mum like mine, you had better be prepared when you get into her car. We love her very much, but we would rather take a bus to school, rather follow her in her car. To be honest, Mum’s driving can only be described as appalling.

She used to ride a bicycle to the nearby morning market; she somehow managed to ride into a small drain and twisted the front wheel of the bicycle. Dad got her a scooter so that she did not have to pedal, hoping that she could pay more attention to the road. She swung the scooter too wide at a corner and crashed into a tree. The scooter needless to say, was a total write-off.

During the times when Dad could not fetch us to school, Mum would be our driver. My siblings and I would start the journey with a prayer for a safe journey and end it with another prayer of thanks. On exam days, it would be rather stressful, worrying about our exams and our safe and timely arrival at the school.

Mum’s driving is legendary in the neighborhood; even the cats and dogs do not feel safe - they learned to avoid her like the plague. Dad often teased Mum about her cheap driving lessons, instead of signing up at a proper driving school. We have our doubts; even if he had sent Mum to the best driving schools, with extra lessons about safe driving, Mum would still drive the way she does.

Mum must be one of those people who are accident-prone, or rather 'crash-prone'. Fortunately most of her 'accidents' are minor matters – a scratch here, a dent there. She would usually crash into stationary and non-living things. She does not seem to sense the presence of trees, dustbins, poles and even road signs. Or as she explained, these things tend to play tricks on her, changing their positions constantly to deceive her. We often warn unsuspecting friends and relatives who want to take a ride in Mum’s car. We told them to bring their crash helmets and safety gear, plus some tranquilizers as well.