Learning to Drive Page #4

The car is the greatest thing in the history of human invention.

Forget your house, you can live in here.

Sleeping in the back.

Heat up a TV dinner on the engine.

Here's your shower.

Pee in the gas tank.

And when the spirit moves you

you just drive away.

Like you drove away?

And never came back.

Here is your reward.

You have a masters?

I was university professor,

like my father.

Why do you teach driving?

For a better job, I would have to...

Take off my turban, shave off my beard.

People think I look dangerous.

But this is how I know who I am.

And here it is too easy to forget.

Do you ever go back to visit?

I can never go home to India.

It's part of political asylum.

I couldn't get to see my dad before he passed away last year.

I miss my mother's funeral too,

Because then I was in prison there.

- Why?

- For nothing.

For being a Sikh.

The police had already killed my brother.

They said it he was a terrorist...

And they had to shoot him because he ambushed them,

But it was a lie.

Then they punished the rest of the family.

All of us were tortured.

My father, my uncle, even my mother.

They left my sister alone,

because she was too young.

Back then...

There was no justice for Sikhs.

How long were you in prison?

Long time.

But here....

Is the ocean.

Punjab is nowhere near water.

It's very late.

I have time.

We have to get you back to Manhattan.

Oh my God...!

Put on your lights.

I do not know where it is.

It's right there.

- Oh my God!

- You have the light. Go now!

Foot off the brake! Go! Go!

Why did you stop?

I..I don't know.

Oh! My dear God.

You gotta be kidding me.

Son of a b*tch.

I just got through paying for this car.

You stupid f***ing Arab.

- Stop.

- It was my student.

What's the matter with you?

Get off the f***ing road.

Stop.

- F***ing motherf***er.

- Stop

- What the f***, man?

Sh*t.

- F*** that sh*t!

- Cops are here.

- They should take this f***ing a**hole...

- Alright, what happened?

He stopped for no reason.

No reason at all.

It was my student driver, sir.

- Where you from?

- Richmond Hill.

Yeah, but where you from?

India.

- You got papers?

- I am an American citizen.

Excuse me, officer.

- I was driving and I caused the accident.

- I understand, ma'am.

I'm gonna say two words:

Racial profiling.

- Were they harassing you?

- Wendy,stay in the car.

- Listen ma'am, it was a no fault accident, okay?

- Okay.

- I was the driver!

- Get back in the car.

Everybody get back in the car.

Are you okay?

Put on your seat belt.

Is...is everything okay?

What is okay?

I've a car dashed up to hell!

My boss angry at me!

- I'll pay to have it fixed.

- You pay nothing.

The school has insurance.

But the$ 500 deductable, who pays that?

I do.

Do you know how much I have to work for $500?

Tie it at the back.

I can give you that.

I cannot take your money.

Thta is not how I am.

What were you doing?

All you had to do was drive straight...

Through an intersection, everything is clear.

And you stop.

My mind wandered...

just for a second.

Bad things can happen, just for a second...

You can lose everything if you don't get another try.

- I was thinking.

- I don't have time to take you home now.

I have to meet somebody at the airport.

And I'm very late.

- Yes, oh thank you sir.

- Drive safe, sir.

- Yes sir.

Please.

Wait here.

Jasleen?

Darwan?

Hello, do you not seen the sign?

Never mind.

Here is for you.

Open it, please, please. Open.

These are beautiful poems for you to read.

William Wordsworth.

Thank you, Mister.

No Mister.

We will speak only English now.

You will learn fast.

Thank you.

I've not tasted these in 12 or 13 years.

So...

No, no.

Come.

We've had a little accident.

That's my student, Wendy.

Wendy, this is Jasleen.

Hi.

Hi.

Can I help?

Oh my goodness.

I'm gonna get in the back.

Cannot put these in the trunk because it's full of rain,

it's flooded.

I got it.

No, I want...

- Be carefully.

- No problem, it will be safe.

Hang this on the hook.

My dress.

It is our wedding dress.

You're getting married?

Speak slowly so she could understand.

You get... A... marry?

Yes. Tomorrow.

We are very happy.

Oh! You two?

Hurry.

- You two?

- Yes

Can you imagine how embarrassing this is?

I look like a drowned dog.

I have to pick her up in a pile of junk.

This is not how our first meeting was to be.

We have to take Wendy home first.

Look, here is America.

Excuse me...

You've never, you've never met her?

She's from a village near where I grew up.

My sister picked her out for me.

If my sister picked out a husband for me,

he would be some dick-less.

Yes, you are better off...

That is why you're alone and crazy.

- Just drop me at the subway.

- No, you are my guest.

That is not how we are.

We do everything for our guests before we think of ourselves.

That is the Sikh way.

Uncle D, now that you're married, a double date in Chinatown?

Cheeky.

Oh yes!

I'll take that as a yes.

If you want a lot of light,

You gotta sacrifice your space.

Or...

Buy a bigger place...

And you sacrifice your light.

Oh excuse me, I gotta take this call.

Did they take the offer?

No?

They want all the furniture?

Well, I don't know,

The mother just died.

It all belong to her.

I don't know how she's gonna fell about that.

You know how people are when people die.

I don't know. I don't know.

I do not know whether she's gonna want it.

Alright.

You want to take a look

see at the kitchen?

- Sure.

- Come on.

Dear Wendy, I'm very sorry

for my behavior during our last lesson.

The car is fixed now, it runs very well.

But where is the driver.

You made me wait.

Punishing me.

Maybe.

Well,

I am happy we will finish what we started.

I will not let you to fail your license, Wendy.

What was the wedding?

It was a very, very beautiful ceremony.

It says:
"When a man marries a woman,

they become one spirit...

We think and feel the same."

There is no differences between us.

- YOu don't mention love?

- Of course.

Love is the one route to God.

God doesn't want anyone to be alone.

Seat belt first.

So what's it like waking up

married to a complete stranger?

I think you don't approve our arranged marriage.

Check your mirrors.

I'll try to explain.

We hold our families very close.

They know you better than anyone else.

They are more objective

about who is the right person for you.

If left to your own decisions,

you could pick the wrong one.

You choose to your ego.

I do not know what I believed about marriage...

Except that it would always be there.

Right signal.

More tomatoes...

Make a nicer color.

I'm not having tomatoes.

Jasleen,

I give you money, you can go out...

And buy tomatoes.

I not know where.

Just walk down the street.

There are plenty of stores.

A little too much ghee.

I know much.

If you don't have conversation with people outside,

how're you gonna pick up English?

TV.

Huh?

Then tell me what you learned today.

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