Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Daytona Kid

     There's a funny and oh-so-Ian experience that took place at the beginning of summer. Every now and then I recall it, but am always engaged in something else and by the time I reach the computer, it's forgotten. Don't ask me how. It should be an unforgettable experience.
     It all began on a beautiful warm summer afternoon. It was the kind of day that makes you feel like you are committing a crime if you don't spend it outside. And after the rainstorms of the previous day, Scott and Ian were ready to break out of their suburban prison and catch some rays. Outside, Ian helped Scott fill a bucket with soapy water. Then Scott pulled the mustang out of the garage to wash it. The plan was to scrub off all the muddy rain drops and polish it until the surface sparkled more than Edward Cullen. But being a man, Scott needed me to see just how dirty it was first. He came in the house and found me in the living room.
     "Look at the car. Can you see that?"
     I looked out the window at the car and did a double take. Could that really be what he wanted me to see? I did not think so. "Your car is rolling down the driveway!"
     "What?"
     We bolted for the door and sure enough, the mustang was rolling backwards down the driveway, gaining momentum on the slope, with a smiling Ian at the wheel.
     I've never seen Scott move so fast. Somehow he caught up to the car, yanked open the door and shoved Ian into the passenger seat, and managed to pull the emergency brake while his feet were dragging on the pavement. He did it all in one superhero move. The car came to a stop smack in the middle of our cul-de-sac.
     We expected Ian to be frightened. Surely after a near death experience he'd need comfort. Surely he was worried he'd be in trouble for almost wrecking Dad's sports car. Surely he needed his mom.
     None of the above.
     He was euphoric, trembling from the adrenalin and testosterone pumping through his veins. "I drove Dad's car! Did you see me? That was so cool!"
     Scott also had adrenalin pumping through his veins. Three hours and a headache later, he was still shaking.