1/7/01, early evening
GC pondered over hr Algebra Two homework when she overheard her mom on the phone; she was talking to the DMV. Mother was setting up an appointment for GC to take for permit test. GC worked out the math problems halfheartedly as she listened.
Her mother seemed to be ending the conversation. GC went back to work and felt the familiar footsteps of her mom as she walked towards her room. “Hey, sweetie,” GC’s mom said as she sat on her bed.
“Hi, mom.”
“I just got off the phone with the DMV. I was able to get an appointment for you to take your test tomorrow at four-twenty-five. I’ll come home quickly and we’ll go get your test done.”
“Four-twenty-five? Tomorrow?”
Her mom nodded.
“Hope I can study for it . . .”
1/8/01, late afternoon
GC and her mom waited in the appointment line. GC was glad her mom called to make an appointment the night before; the non-appointment line was quite huge. Of all things, one of GC’s girlfriends she hung out with after school was in line in front of her. They spoke briefly, then wished each other good luck with their respective tests.
The ‘pre-examination’ went smoothly. Getting the permit picture went smoothly. Even the test wasn’t so bad. The trouble was getting it graded. GC didn’t know where the test zone stopped, so she decided to wait a few inches to the side of a man who was being helped. No one else was waiting at the time.
Then another man walked up. He and GC made eye contact; GC smiled and shrugged, meaning she didn’t know where the line began. Unbeknownst to GC, another grader sat down, ready to take test papers. Unbeknownst to GC, the man that came after her walked up to get his test graded before her. This would have been quite rude in GC’s opinion if, of course, she had realized it. But she hadn’t, and she continued to wait in blissful ignorance.
GC’s mother did see and, wonderful loudmouth she was, spoke up. “You know she was here before you; it’s easy to ignore young girls.” Immediately GC realized what was happening and turned red. How embarrassing! Why couldn’t she have let sleeping dogs lie? Oh well, what’s done was done; life would continue.
The grader finished his job, and gave the man who cut in front of GC the bad news: “You failed the test. You have three more times to re-take this test.” The man looked around aimlessly, then walked out of the test area just as aimlessly.
Now it was GC’s turn. She walked up to the grader behind the counter, handed him her test, and waited for the news, hoping all that while the news would be good. Strenuous minutes passed in awkward silence as the grader did his job. Soon he laughed, and put the test away: “You passed. You missed six out of seven; one more and you would have failed.”
GC perked up and grinned. She turned to gaze to her mom and grinned. Of all things, as she turned to her mom she saw the man who cut her. Ah, yes, this was nice. He cut her, he failed, and she passed. Revenge was oh so sweet right now. He got his own.
What went around came around.
