How to navigate

As a child, I knew the comfort of my car pretty well. Soft beige sheets, tinted windows, and the radio playing the best songs ever. It took us everywhere. It's been with us on our journeys.

My place was always in the backseat, on the right side glued to the window. I followed clouds and the moon and the raindrops' little races down the window. I never had to worry about the road or navigation and where to go. I sat and i reached.

My father was always the driver. Unless we took a cab, which we rarely did, his driving was all I knew my whole life.

We had this game we used to play. I used to spot a car in the distance and tell him, "Overtake that car!" And he used to speed up until we were in front of the car.

I was a carefree child then. I became the navigator occasionally. Having Google maps open on my mom's phone because she couldn't find our location. I kept it open so my dad could see while still telling him the directions and messing it up sometimes.

Slowly, my place became the front seat. Shotgun. When my mother didnt want to go out, I had to strap myself to the seat so i wouldn't fly out the window. I longed for the day where I would be the one behind the wheel.

That car is very dear to us. It's a very old Innova model, older than me. A bit like my big brother. It's still in pristine condition, and my dad can still overtake cars with ease.

The day I felt older than the car was the day I sat behind the wheel. The first time I drove it I was terrified. I trusted the car, but not myself!

But that's a story for another time.