Sputter! Sputter! Lurch! Stall.
“You have to put it in first.”
“ I am in first. “
“ No, Here. Now you’re in first. “
“Ok, here we go. “
Sputter! Sputter! Lurch! Stall.
“ Damn this thing!!!”
This is G’s first attempt at manual driving in about 10 years. His dad is giving him a crash course lesson. I’m in the back biting my lip and holding on as tight as I can. We haven’t left the neighborhood.
The vehicle in question is a 1986 Volkswagen Vanagon Camper Van . The plan is to take this puppy on road trip exploring California – a trip we’ve been wanting to take for years. On the one hand, the engine has been newly rebuilt and thanks to my ready-for-anything mother-in-law, Carolyn, it is completely stocked with camping gear. On the other hand, it has no power steering, no horsepower, and no AC. Every time Greg goes make a turn, he has to put the full force of his body into it. The stick also seems to get stuck a lot, thus, shifting gears looks really tough.
Sputter! Sputter! Lurch! Stall.
Greg’s family has had ”the bus” -- as it is affectionately called -- for years and years. When G was kid, they’d take the bus camping everywhere and they have many good memories of their trips. However, the ol’ girl is definitely showing her age.
We take the bus out on a test run. By the time we reach the gas station, Greg is an extremely grouchy state. Not that I can blame him. I’ve never driven manual in my life and get frustrated at mechanical problems easily. I would be positively ornery, so I just keep quiet . . . breath held and gripping my armrest.
After a few minutes, I can tell Greg’s motor memory is kicking in and there’s A LOT less sputtering and lurching. I have no doubt that with a little more time he and the bus will be in synch again. Still, I can’t help but think ahead to some of the mountainous parks we intend to visit and shiver at the thought of how the bus will handle the hills turns.
“You know honey, we can turn around right now. We can just stay at your parent’s house tonight, rent an SUV, borrow their tents and camping gear, and set out again tomorrow. It is totally up to you though.”
A few minutes pass. “ We’re going back. I need to think about this a bit.”
God bless him, he decided we’d rent. Greg says he feels a little defeated, but as soon as he makes the decision he looks much happier. The bus will be for another camping trip . . . one with fewer mountains.
“I’m just thinking about all the stop we’re going to make. It would be great if we were making one or two stops, but with everything we want to do, a vacation in this thing is not going to be a vacation at all.”
I am so thankful to have such a wise husband.
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