On Driver's Ed

I had dinner with my father and two younger half-brothers last night, mostly just because it's Wednesday, but retroactively I'm saying it was also in celebration of the older brother retaking his road test tomorrow and likely getting a license to operate multi-ton steal monstrosities.

That was the plan, anyway. He drove very well today, taking my father to an optometrist's appointment, but when it came time to drive his friend home with my dad in the passenger's seat, he kind of sort of mistook the gas for the break and plowed directly into the giant shed that houses all their lawn equipment. (Thankfully he missed both the Subaru beyond the shed. More thankfully, our father had to sell the Porsche Boxer he originally bought the shed to house.)

Is it "odd" that I had a somewhat psychic moment and chose to not go along for the ride? Not at all. Frankly, that kind of stuff happens all the time. I was quite comfortable hearing the medium-sized crunch from inside and coming out to view the spectacular damage.

I did my best to diffuse the situation and provide brotherly support where needed, and once dad left with my brother and his friend in his car, I did the courtesy of unjamming the worst of the more badly beaten shed door, prying off some hanging molding and stacking it neatly.

Our father handled it very well, actually. His wife, on the other hand, well, we're all hoping that she'll be too tired from working a double shift at the hospital to notice when she gets home. Then my brother can hopefully pass his damned road test and actually have a license before she takes it away.


Side note: As I was leaving, I was pointing out to my father what could be done and salvaged from the shed face when a blood curdling squeal came from the side of the house. A bat, I thought? No, too big. Some large rodent was clearly very distressed and in a great deal of pain, and then an adorable fluffy bunny hopped out of the bushes and ran off, twice, as his friend lay bleating unmercifully. Creepy to hear, creepier when it suddenly stopped. It shut up entirely when I approached close enough to save whatever it was, and I felt truly horrible. I avoided stopping at a gas station on the way home for fear of encountering a third evil this night.