The Last Test

It was a beautiful Friday morning, the sun was out, the birds were singing, and there was a light breeze, making for a perfect summer day. There was a week left until I left home for the first time alone on an exciting adventure, and it just seemed like nothing could go wrong. Today, in particular, was a slight bump in the road I had to overcome, and I knew that fact. My face was twitching and the final boss ahead of me was all that was on my mind.

A young woman in a uniform approached me and the butterflies inside my stomach seemed to multiply as she got closer. My dad, who was beside me, told me to break a leg, and I hoped for the best. My head travelled somewhere else and I could only focus on the test I had to pass. I knew it was about to begin as I smelled a perfume scent and I was signalled to start. I had just seen a young girl sobbing because of an unsuccessful attempt and I prayed this wasn’t some sort of foreboding for what was to come.

I had gone through the motions so many times before and I had been preparing for over a year at this point. My hands felt as light as feathers and though I did not feel like I had control over myself as I sat in my seat, the natural instinct inside of me fuelled by the practice I’d done guided me as the instructor assessed my every move. I could hear her pencil and for some reason, the scratching of the lead against the paper seemed like the loudest sound in the world. I knew that what was written on that paper could change my life forever.

I was told to speed up, making me wonder how much time remained. This exam was certainly challenging, and I knew the hill in front of me would be hard to overcome, as I had to speed up and be very attentive of my every move to make it through. I came across a difficult situation where I was unsure of what road would take me towards success. The reality being that failure was down one of these roads hit me like I’d been struck by lightning, and I could feel needles across my skin as my heart stopped. I chose an answer, and fortunately saw the instructor nod in the corner of my eye as I wiped the sweat dripping down my cheek. Most of the problems could be solved in several different ways; however I was almost tricked when there was a one-way kind of problem thrown at me. 

I knew it was almost over and felt as if a bucket of sweat was poured on my head. I could still hear the pencil jotting down notes on the paper. Unsure of how I’d done, I briefly looked at the woman to get a sense of my result but now my body was light and faint the way it had been at the start. I was told to park it and wait as she tallied up my score. I could feel the blood circulating in every part of my body and it felt like an eternity before she finally pronounced these words: “Congratulations, you passed and you will receive your driver’s licence shortly.” My life would be changed forever and I was so relieved but a sense of fear suddenly filled me as I realised I’d never again sit in a car as a child.