As the taxi speeds home from my friend Jacinta’s dinner party, I get the distinct impression that I am riding through a Ridley Scott film. Dark, damp, glistening streets, buildings in some dilapidated state of disrepair or construction. Men huddled in the shadows around fires and dim bulbs. Colorful women, dingy children, murky pools of standing water.
Streetlights flash green and red but the cab plows through the intersections, dodging dogs and slowing only for deep potholes and cement construction barriers.
We are going much too fast on this slick and uneven street, but the taxi driver is calm and confident, unflinching and unflappable as he blows through red lights and careens in front of rickshaws.
As is often the case in the backseat of cars in India, I have no seatbelt. I simply plant myself behind the passenger seat so that there will be something to slow me on impact. And then, I sit back and marvel about how far away I am from Silverlake, Los Angeles.
Somehow, I am not particularly afraid. Perhaps it’s the lychee martinis that have dulled my senses; maybe it’s just that after having driven with “Salim the Maniac” for more than 2 weeks, something very precious and critical is broken.
Salim came with the rental car and is our cross to bear until the purchase of our new, used cars, goes through. Francis, our real driver, was hired a month ago because he has a reputation of being smart, knowing the city and being a very good driver. Fortunately, he rides shotgun with Salim as sort of an Executive Driver/Translator so that no one I am related to has to be in the “death seat.” He is remarkably composed and good-natured about these hectic rides.
“Salim the Untouchable” is not phased by oncoming traffic and dodges out into it whenever he feels like it. Buses, trucks, no matter, he’ll take anything. Lucky for him, he is numbed by the stimulant he constantly chews and spits called Pan. Unlucky for us, we have to witness the constant spitting of this red slimy goop and watch our lives flash before us on a daily basis because he thinks he is God.
Addae and Khari like Salim’s car and they call it the “Pimp Mobile” on account of the racing stripes and all of the tacky shit hanging off of it. Any hope for dignity I had is long gone. Taj calls it the “Shiny 9000” and he and the other boys don’t seem phased by the blood splatter on the hood. They might even think Salim’s cool. I don’t even want to know if they do.
Salim has this annoying knob latched onto his steering wheel that he uses to spin around with one hand while down shifting with the other. He dives into potholes with no regard and dares pedestrians to step in front of his reinforced, chrome bumpers.
Last week, the police pulled him over for honking like a lunatic and cutting across four lanes of traffic. He paid them off or whatever and made up for the lost time when he got back on the road.
A few days ago, he had to change a tire in a downpour. He’s lucky he didn’t have to replace the axle. Francis says that Salim was soaked but, aside from the steam rising off of him, I didn’t see a drop of water.
In addition to driving, Salim-the pan-chewing-and-spitting-wild-man has taken to following me into furniture showrooms when I am trying to furnish our empty apartment.
So there I am with Francis and “Salim the Merciless” looking at cheesy furniture. I don’t know why, besides nosiness, that Salim is there. He doesn’t speak English so there’s no use asking him and, having survived yet another ride with him at the wheel, I am grateful to be alive, a bit nauseous, and shell shocked.
It’s been a few weeks in India and I am learning to fight battles I think I can win. The Passion Mist air freshener in the car is gone as is the tacky, tinkly, umbrella thing dangling over the Lord Ganesh on the dashboard. Reluctantly, Salim removed the lemons, chillis and yarn balls from the chrome bumper that were there to ward off evil spirits, but he still careens into our apartment complex on no more than two wheels. If he catches me on the wrong day, I’m gonna lose it. With that in mind, I always sit diagonally across from him so that I can be sure to shower him with the puke that I have been choking back for weeks.
Robin thinks we’re getting our new cars tomorrow. It helps him stomach the ride when he imagines it might be the last one. I am less hopeful and have resigned myself to terrifying trips and constant near misses. The whole situation seems completely out of my control and I have lost all faith in it resolving itself any time soon.
* * *
Now I’m in the “Best Buy” equivalent (but not really) picking out a washing machine, a microwave without a grill (I’m not sure what I would grill in my microwave anyway) and a TV.
Francis has come with me to help out and serve as the “Man” the sales guy can talk to if a woman shopping on her own is too intimidating or too inviting of a bad deal. “Salim the Impossible” is there too, sauntering through the store with me as if he hadn’t just tried to kill me on the ride over.
Together, we cruise through the mall, the tall, black American woman, flanked by two short Indian guys. What they lack in height, they make up for in ego. Walking with them, shopping with them, choosing my furniture with them, I feel like I belong to something greater than myself. For a moment, we are, a “Threesome”. In an instant, my faith is restored. Today, gelato’s on me.
Copyright Nandi Bowe 2012 Special thanks to Robin Melhuish and Donna McNeely Burke
Nandi,
I’m glad your faith was restored. The crazy riding that you have endured. I probably would have ulcers by now. I pray that you all get your vehicles soon. I really enjoyed and can’t wait to read about your next journey.
That story was 3 years ago and now we have cars and drivers and mostly good rides. Thanks for reading and commenting. So appreciated. N
Oh Nandi, you bring back so many memories. I know that I discovered how to surrender and let go and let God while I was in India. I don’t think I ‘d dare drive there, it is so crazy. I just sat back and pictured I’d get to where ever I was going safely. But the most profound time was when we were going up north past Rishikesh to where the guy who started TM was supposed to have lived in a cave. We had to go up these high roads in a bus. I never have been able to look down, from up high and here we were on these narrow roads. I decide I had to surrender to what ever or I’d have a heart attack. Once I did that I was able to let go and enjoy the trip. I so love reading your adventures and am glad you have drivers for your cars. I always loved the decorations in the tuk Tuks. and knew that our driver had been to temple or not by seeing if he had marigolds hanging on his mirror. He took us to the temple because we convinced him he had to go, so we did too. I loved the whole ritual . It sort of opened me to finding my Guru/Teacher four years later. Adi Da Samraj.
I hope this blog can go on for a long long time. I love hearing all about your life and you do bring up great reminders for me of over twenty five years ago.
Thank you so much for reading. we were new to India then and hadn’t learned the art of surrender. boy have we learned it since then in so many ways.
Ahhh, come on Nandi, Salim was not that bad….children are always good judge of character.
They thought it was an amusement park ride. Ignorance is bliss
I love how Salim gets a new add on name for each occasion. Love your writing.
Thanks for reading and loving. NB
I wish I had read this when you first wrote it. Steph told me you had a blogg, but I didnt know how to access it. It sounds like you have had a wonderful adventure in India, that you of course rose to the occasion and lived the whole experience to the fullest. You’ll have much to talk and write about, and so will your kids. How did they make out in school? Love to your mother and your siblings.
I can hear the noise from here in Oz. Those darn horns. Honk if you want to do this and that. What a marvel though it has it’s purpose since no indicators are used. What a Kak. LOL
thanks so much for reading. NB
I must say it was hard to find your site in google.
You write great posts but you should rank your website
higher in search engines. If you don’t know how to do it search on youtube:
how to rank a website Marcel’s way
It’s awesome in support of me to have a web page, which is useful in support of my know-how.
thanks admin