posted 20 December 2000 12:46 AM         

When I first met Christian one warm autumn day at Asilomar, I was startled by his red hair and his earnestly polite yet utterly indecipherable sentences. This is my Christian story.

It begins in my 1973 <Chevy Nova>.

"Nova" means "no go" in Spanish. Someday my Nova will refuse to go. It is 23 years old. How long can an automobile live? But every morning it starts right up, and blows a little rust out the tailpipe. I am proud to drive an American classic. When Christian says he will rent a car for his DMV test, I offer him my Chevy Nova instead. We set out for a test drive on Halloween night.

Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road, so I plan to take Christian to an empty parking lot where he can practice safely. He asks, "You've never been to Germany? We drive on the right side of the road there!" I am embarrassed by my ignorance. I pull over and let Christian take the wheel. He puts on his glasses.

I later learn from Phoebe that it is only in England that cars drive on the wrong side of the road. I should travel more.

Now, any good driving test needs a challenge...

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