Tawakal (ii)

[Continued]

A female Garda came close, bent her head over through my window to see the faces of the people in the car and subsequently laid her elbows on the window frame. It was a complete silence in the car as the lady looked in, like the silence created as a family of mice hide themselves in a mouse hole from a hungry cat.

Our fate was just difficult to ascertain.
The she-Garda stepped back then came the he-Garda.

That guy came close to my door and asked sternly, "Did you hear the siren?"

I was about to say 'well I thought it was the ambulance bla-bla-bla' when he stopped me just after I blurted a few words.

"No no, just answer my question, did YOU hear the siren?"

"Yes."

"So why didn't you stop?"

This certainly didn't need an answer. In this scenario it was better to talk less than more.

After all this wasn't a pleasant beginning of the negotiation.

I was under the impression that the Gardai might think that I was having a touch of a hangover. But from my words I believed that I had proved them wrong.

"Do you know why did we stop you?". He continued.

"No".

"Do you know what a double line means?" [He was using another term which I forgot.]

"Do not overtake". [Out of nervousness my vocabulary was gone at that time but for this entry I have corrected them all.]

"So you know it!"

Did I actually overtake on a double line? I didn't even realise. Trust me I didn't even look down to the lines because my eyes were just fixed on the car in front. For God's sake! I didn't want to make the situation more complicated by telling this to the Gardai thus yanking my other friends in that car I was following into this catastrophe.

The lady Garda seemed to want to loosen the tense a bit as she came and said softly, "Can I see your license please?". There you go. 'Is this the end when it has just started?', I anticipated. Oh my God only on You I put my hope.

"And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out. And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine. And if anyone puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish His purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion."

[At-Talaq, 65: 2-3]

Concomitantly the male Garda opened the back door behind the driver's seat to have a better look at what's inside the car at the passenger seats. He subsequently closed the door after asking one of my friends who was holding her iPod as to what was she listening to in this serious moment.

I asked my co-driver who was holding my stuff with her to get my purse in my bag. I carefully opened it, took out the precious ~~expired~~ Malaysian driving license and handed it over to the police. Tawakal. Nothing else I could do at that point.

She stood up from leaning against my window then strode towards her colleague behind, probably showing the license. I didn't have the courage to even look at them. No one in the car dared to utter a word. But I believe all were reciting prayers within themselves.

'Well isn't expiration date just a number? The date written on the card could've been later or earlier but isn't the driving skill the same, like? In fact I passed the theory and practical exams both in one go so my driving skill is good enough that there's no need to doubt about it.' I was fighting and doing the boastful talking within my own self :P.
[Oh by the way did I mention that my dad apparently had to teach me driving again even after I passed? I didn't know what I learnt at the driving school that initially my driving (in the real world) was absolutely horrendous. I didn't have the problem with my skills or confidence in hitting the road though but unfortunately the passengers, and of course the vehicle owners did. T_T]

Our friend's car that we were following was gone, long disappeared into thin air. We weren't aware if they had a clue at all that our car was stopped by the Gardai plus we didn't get the chance to give them a text or a ring. After all again I thought it was good for them too so as not to involve too many people in this issue. Let us pretend like we were independent entities.

The lady Garda walked close to my door once again and asked, "Where are ye going to?".
"N---y", I answered.

"N---y? That's very far. What are ye doing there?".
"Just visiting some friends."

"Are you driving through the night straight to N---y?".
"Yes".
"Oh Jesus, that's a long journey".

She stepped back and came the other Garda to my window then. The serious guy.

"Listen, your driving isn't very good".

[To be cont'd]