Thursday 8 March 2012

Temptation, thrills and flooded lanes...


It’s raining.
A lot.
Which is good
Because we need the rain.
But it’s bad
Because I think I may have to give into temptation and I don’t think that is wise.
The temptation in question is whether or not to drive my car through the seriously big puddles on the lanes.
You know the ones
They stretch for about 20 or 30 yards and fill the lane side to side.
The boys spy them and then get wildly overexcited
“Go on Mum! Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!” they chant.
And the temptation is so great
Foot down, second gear and drive straight without stopping, remembering where the lane dips driving on the upside first then the down keeping to the shallowest waters.
Now this was OK when I had Dora Disco the Land Rover and indeed OK when the field drains weren’t working as well as they do now. But with torrents of water spewing from all sides into the lane and flooded as far as the eye can see and suddenly I am not so sure.
Not quite so sure it is a very good idea.
I mean I love the Silver Dream Machine, my Bluemotion Golf Estate but I don’t think it was built for boating.
“It’s too dangerous,” I say. “We will have to wait until the water subsides.”
So I reverse all the way back to the main road and drive the long way to school. The Boys are clearly disappointed. This way is not very exciting. Not thrilling at all.
It’s much more fun to get into school late because you’ve got stranded in the middle of a flood and have to wade your way out.
I feel for them and suddenly understand why my father used to drive across the frozen St John River in Canada when we were stationed there in the early 1970s. He relished terrifying and thrilling the women in his family. Seriously he used to take our Volkswagen car drive off the road and down the banks of the frozen river then drive across it stopping half way to take photographs. I remember waiting for what seemed like hours while he did this scaring myself silly with thoughts of the ice breaking beneath us. He never put us in danger he always knew it was safe, he just didn’t tell us as such. We had to trust him. I was five years old. And now 40 years later I understand why he did it as I thrill and terrify my own five year old.
I will make sure I can drive through but I won’t be telling my boys I have checked it out first – I mean where’s the fun in that!

5 comments:

PippaD said...

It's the pleasure of the scare that gets us all. Why would horror films do such good business otherwise?!

Expat mum said...

My husband did that (drive through a gigantic puddle) last year in MY car, I might add. Got half way through and obviously hit a large nail, because the tyre was flat before he drove the next half mile. There's a reason they tell you not to drive through huge puddles you know.

Tattieweasle said...

PippaD - It is fun to be scared - at least that's what my youngest said today when we braved the flood! He actualy asked me to do it again!
Expat Mum - I know there's a reason but...

Rob-bear said...

You spent part of your growing up in the "The Colony of Canada"? Phansty that! And Bear didn't know until now.

People who grow up in Canada can't be all bad — and you're the living proof that most are much, much better than "all bad." Why, you're even better than the Evil Black Job, her four-legged self!

Right then. Test the waters (so to speak) and go for it! Shock the lads.

Suburbia said...

You must be a lovely mum :)

Go on you know you want to...

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