Kuzhithurai, Kanyakumari.
“Start the car! Start the car! A lizard ran on my legs!” screamed Catherin as she felt something ran over her right foot “Come ON!” Sherwin and Granny laughed loudly at Catherin. Sherwin started the car but stopped suddenly. “What happened out there?” said Sherwin. Granny, still laughing, “This always happens when you take your leg off the clutch quickly. You think yourself the bald guy from that car movie, don’t you?”
“Gran! I don’t think myself anyone. I stopped the car and the car didn’t go off. The lorry in front of us stopped suddenly,” said Sherwin quietly and quickly as possible. The trio looked in front of them and a worn out lorry was there looking still.
They suddenly heard a chaos from behind and realized they are the second vehicle in the forming traffic. The lorry driver jumped out and started to apologize loudly, the traffic police arrived there, and after a quick talk with the driver they all started to look down the steep road. The lorry was standing at the top of the steep road that goes left to join with the main road. Sherwin lowered his window and asked a flower vendor. “The road going left has a huge, bad and dangerous pothole. The people responsible for this thing did nothing and you know the condition of our vehicles, right? They don’t manage the vehicles properly. Yesterday, when a lorry turned up there, the front glass just fell and shattered. Today, just an hour ago a bus turned and when it crossed the pothole, the key just fell from the keyhole and the heavy vehicles don’t move without the key. Fortunately the driver found the key”
Sherwin thanked the vendor and looked at his sister and granny. Catherin heard a policeman saying, “Where is the key?” She turned to Sherwin and said, “The lorry lost its key!”
“Ah! Don’t you eavesdrop Catherin!” said Granny. “When you say silly stuff and loud it’s not eavesdropping.” roared Catherin. “It happened as the vendor said.” Sherwin buried his face in his hand and wiped his face “Let us just watch the costly Mercedes behind us”
A white Mercedes car stood just behind them and the trio wondered how they have the guts to drive such a car in these roads. “The opposite lane also got blocked. They’ve to find the key. Catherin, get down and search, so you may find any lizard” Granny told sarcastically and laughed. Sherwin joined the laughter. “I am going to help them find the key. Catherin, you take over the wheels. Start and move the car if the traffic gets clear. I will join the people down the road.”
Catherin and Granny shivered at his words. “No. No. I am not driving. That’s not happening. If they find the key, we are the second one to move, so that’s not necessary.” said Catherin with her hands waving no. “Yeah Sherwin, It’s not necessary for you to leave my life in this little devil’s hands. Let Catherin get down and help them search the keys.” Granny realized that it might be her last ride if she let Catherin drive.
“I am not getting down. There are lizards all around the place.”
“See gran, she is not going. I will get down and help them. When I come back, I will get you both the Honey candy.” He smiled nervously and got out of the car. Catherin switched the seats quickly.
“God, I hoped that he would not see the honey candy hanging in that store. He is not going to help them. He is going to buy the candy, roam around and return.” said granny. “You cared a lot about lizards than two human lives, didn’t you?” she was still shivering.
“Trust me Gran. I am a good driver.” Catherin tried to keep Granny calm.
“Don’t say the word ‘Good’. You tried to kill me when you forgot to put the handbrake and you left me to die in the Malayadi hills. Just drive.” Granny sounded anxious and feared. “I haven’t even had my first attack and that boy left me with you to die.”
“I assured you I will drive safe and if you are going to talk like this I am going to leave you here.” warned Catherin.
10 minutes later
The crane slowly moved the lorry. Granny looked for Sherwin and started to call his name loudly. Catherin started to shiver. “Gran, you have an expired license but can you drive the car?”
“Suicide.” before Granny could finish Catherin interrupted “Yeah! Oh! Wey! I’ll drive.” She started to move a bit. Just as she started moving, the Mercedes horned for a long time. “Hey! We are moving. Don’t horn!” Granny shouted by showing her head outside the window “That’s Mercedes. We knew it. That doesn’t mean that you have to show off!”
He murmured under his breath. Granny tried to decode the words but she couldn’t “Hey! You little bad talker! You eat that thing. We are not eating anything.” After a minute pause “Don’t you dare talk about my dad! Ill curse you!”
“Gran! He just asked us to move quickly.” Catherin told Granny. She started driving comfortably but they haven’t reached the turning yet. “Gran, if the lorry is in such a bad condition, wouldn’t it roll down the road?”
“You are not watching that ‘Final Destination’ again” groaned Granny.
While Catherin was turning left, Sherwin came and took over the steering. He handed over the honey candies to Granny. He tried to drive it carefully around the pothole but the car jumped a bit with the back wheels inside the pothole. Catherin felt something on her legs. “AHH! There is something on my legs” She lifted her legs and saw down. Sherwin slowed down the car and watched the crane pulling away the lorry and the police officers fining the lorry driver. “Oh my god!” Catherin exclaimed and she lifted a rusty key in her hand. “You stole the key!” Granny exclaimed louder “The lizard that ran over your leg was the key!”
“What am I going to do with the lorry?” Catherin exclaimed again.
“Maybe you kill both of us” Granny exclaimed again.
“Easy there. The key slid down the steep road and stuck in your slippers. That’s a ridiculous explanation.” said Sherwin. “I don’t know how it got stuck in my slippers. Stop the car. I’ll give the key to the driver.” said Catherin.
Sherwin and Granny realized the consequences of returning the key. “We will get to home first. Then I will hand over the key to him.” said Sherwin. Catherin nodded.
As soon as they reached the home Catherin gave the key to Sherwin and got out of the car. Granny asked. “Are you going to return the key?”
“Nope.” He threw the key outside. “That’s good. He will get a new one. You don’t mind it.” Granny smiled and they got down and into the house.
