The Honkers

The green turn signal flicked to yellow.

I slowed to a stop,

but the red truck

stopped behind me and honked.

Not once. Not twice.

I questioned myself aloud. "I'm making a left-handed turn..."

It's true there was an opening in traffic, is that why?

"Don't move," my mother advised.

But I questioned if she knew,

and was holding out on me.

She always told me to stay in one lane.

Drive slow.

But everyone always speeds,

and weaves in between.

I have no interest in breaking the law,

speeding, switching lanes.

but I know

she could be withholding information. Again.

There's an opening in the road again.

The turn signal is still yellow.

Honk. Honk. Honk.

Surely he's honking because he's saying it's possible?

I mean IT IS a yellow light.....

I make the turn, pull away off the road.

Checked my rearview mirror.

I wasn't being followed/ harrassed anymore. How curious!

Mom reports. "The turn signal switched to red."

Said she might get a ticket in the mail.

"Sorry," I muttered.

I failed to trust her words.

It's not like she's always been trustworthy before!

"I don't care who it is." Mom said.

"Don't EVER let someone bully you off the road!"

I stayed quiet, internally sighing at my choice.

For a brief second got angry. Not at her. The driver.

Since I got my license last year.

I discovered there are people who don't honk for good reasons.

It's misleading.

I'm not a mind reader.

This was the second incident,

The 1st time someone honked at me,

almost rammed me, they were a good distance away

when they saw the light was yellow,

and that I had stopped there.

As if they would have been able to make the light-

cause when they caught up to me it was red.

So they forced me to instinctively

scoot up on the road instead.

It may not have been intentional.

But when my Mom got out the car,

to see how close they were-

No words were exchanged.

Perhaps they were too ashamed.

Perhaps too sorry.

Perhaps they didn't care.

Perhaps they thought I deserved it.

Perhaps they were looking for insurance?

Perhaps they were scared of her.

A petite jamaican lady with a scarf on her head.

I was a little out in the road.

And they didn't let me reverse to return,

they could see the light was red.

Cars had to drive around a little.

Thankfully I wasn't in the middle of traffic.

I remember feeling bad

questioning my own instincts,

until my Mom came back in to confirm

that IF I hadn't moved they WOULD have rammed me

because they were in the space I once occupied.

I get it.

To some drivers

yellow means speed up

before the red, to make it.

But our traffic light does not take that long to switch.

So I didn't care.

You never know,

what petty reason people

are honking you for.

Half the time it's impatience,

half the time something more.

I've had some kind strangers

who did it to tell me my trunk was slightly open.

And then of course the rude, who didn't like

me driving in the left -

the commercial vehicles took up the right on the highway, in my defense. I always drive in the right. And there were cars ahead.

So the fact she honked me as soon as it were an opening, felt as if she was blaming me for the traffic/ not speeding up so she can sandwich me between others.

I always go 65 or a little less.

So sorry I'm not yet skilled/impatient enough to hop about as if playing chess.

But dear drivers.

Impatient ones.

Please stop honking for no good reason.

When you see a driver obeying the rules.

Cause you don't know if they're new.

And if they die for listening,

half of it would be on you.

Would you learn not to if it caused an accident?

Would you learn not to if it could cause a misunderstanding?

Would you learn not to honk for less obvious reasons?

Please be decent.

Please be decent.

Please.

Be decent.