Wednesday was the day, Munch and Thahn Ho would have to really drive. No simulators, no films, but real live in a car driving. Slowly, Thahn Ho walked beside him to class. She was pale and her breathing was not great. He longed to take her hand and reassure her, but the only thing he could do was walk with her. When they entered the room, she went to her desk and sat down. Her eyes were wide. She had a death grip on the strap of her purse. While Munch didn’t like driving and he had his fears, what registered on Thanh Ho’s face was terror. Had something happened to make her so afraid?

After the role was called, the students were divided up into groups. By some miracle Thahn Ho and Munch were put in the same group. The third person in their group was Sally from Art Club. The girl never talked. Her brown hair was pulled back in a pony tail. She had an excited glint in her eyes. She was the only one. Coach Smith was their instructor for their first drive. They followed him outside to the red driver’s ed car. Confidently, Sally said, “I would like to drive first.”

Coach Smith said, “Okay, climb in everybody.”

To be beside Thahn Ho in the back seat, was something Munch had been looking forward to until this moment. She was starting to look a little green. Would she puke in the driver’s ed car? Seeing people puke could prove disastrous. It always made him gag. Last semester, a kid named Joey Wilkins had got car sick and people still talked about it. Thahn Ho would be mortified if she lost control like that. If only there was some way he could just touch her.

Sally was an excellent driver. Every direction Coach Smith told her to go, she went. She stopped when she was supposed to and went when she was supposed to. Not once did she forget to turn on her turn signal or stop at a stop sign. Coach Smith told her to pull into the Dairy Queen parking lot so they could switch drivers. She did just that. When she turned off the car, Coach Smith said, “You did very well.”

Sally smiled and said, “My grandpa’s been helping me.”

It was the longest sentence Munch had heard the girl say in all the years he had known her. He got out and traded places with her. The instant he sat down in the driver’s seat white noise filled his head. This would never do. He asked, “Can we turn on the radio?”

Coach Smith said, “Sure, but you need to start the engine first.” Munch did and Coach asked, “What station?”

“Kool Jazz, please.”

Coach Smith found it, but he turned it down so low, Munch could barely hear it. Coach said, “Go forward and turn left on the next street.

Munch put the car in drive and pushed the gas petal. The car lurched forward. It was not a good beginning. He made his way across the parking lot and waited at the light. Gently, he eased up on the break and turned left. Though the start had been rough, the longer he drove the more at ease he felt. When Coach Smith told him to turn into a gas station to switch driver’s. Munch did as he was told. It hadn’t been as hard as he imagined. In fact he almost liked it.

From the back seat, Sally said, “Coach, Thahn Ho don’t look so good.”

Munch turned to look at her. Her brow glistened with sweat and her breathing was jagged. Her trembling hand reached for the door handle. She opened the door, and got out. Munch got out as well. He hesitated ever so briefly before he got in the back seat. He finger’s brushed against Thanh Ho’s and he whispered, “You got this.”

If she heard him, she didn’t act like it. She climbed into the driver’s seat. From the back seat Munch saw how tightly she was gripping the steering wheel. When she started the car, it lurched bad. Aware of her nervousness, Coach didn’t force her to go on the street. He said, “Just go over to the Kroger parking lot and drive.”

She nodded and headed for the parking lot. They circled it once, then twice after the third round, Coach Smith said, “Go ahead and park.” The car came to an abrupt and jarring halt. Kindly, Coach Smith said, “I could tell that was hard for you, but you did it any way. I am proud of you, Miss Duong. Before our next driving lesson, get an adult in your family to take you to drive in a parking lot. Work on that until you become more confident.”

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Just above a whisper she said, “Thank you Coach. I will try.”

Visibly shaking she got out. She and Coach traded places and he drove back to the school. The second Coach Smith turned off the engine, Thahn Ho was out the door and running down the sidewalk.

Sally said, “I think she’s gonna hurl. I’ll go after her.”

Munch watched Sally run after Thahn Ho. Her pony tail was swinging. At a slower pace Munch followed behind. The bells rang. In the hall way he saw Sally go into the first girls’ restroom. Munch waited outside, he had to know if Thahn Ho was all right. The bell rang again and they still hadn’t come out. Coach Smith saw Munch. “You best get to class. I’m gonna send the nurse down to check on her.”

The last thing he wanted to do was leave, but he didn’t have a choice. Reluctantly, he walked toward his next class. He most likely wouldn’t see Than Ho until painting class sixth period. That seemed like a really long time from now.

*

The bell ending fifth period rang. As quickly as he could, Munch made his way to his painting class. He was so afraid, Thahn Ho had gone home sick. To his relief she was sitting at their table. Her head was down and she was working on a sketch. When he got to the table he took his seat and asked, “Are you okay?”

She looked up at him. There were dark smudges under her eyes. She nodded.

He lowered his voice and asked, “Is there a reason you are so scared of driving?”

Again she nodded. She leaned close to him and whispered, “My bà nội (grandmother) was killed in a car accident when I was eight. I was with her.”

Munch honestly didn’t know what to say. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. A single tear slid down her cheek. He squeezed her hand and finally said, “What you did today was so brave. You will be a good driver.” She glanced up at him. Her eyes told him she didn’t believe him. “You will.”

“I just don’t want to ever kill someone because I made a mistake. The man who was driving swerved to miss a plank in the road and he hit us head on. If I hadn’t been in the back seat, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

It was strange how you could think you knew someone and find out you didn’t know them at all. What had Thahn Ho been like before that terrible accident? Had she been as shy and as she was now? Munch’s whole perspective of her changed. She pulled her hand free from his and continued sketching.

After painting he walked her to her next class. Before they parted, she reached out and squeezed his arm. He just wanted to hug her so bad.

*

Wednesday night Munch was up in the studio sewing. His mind kept straying to Thahn Ho. Was she okay? The hum of the sewing machine had its own rhythm and soothed his fears. The fabric he was working with was finicky and one moment of distraction could ruin not only the seam, but the fabric itself. When finished the seam, he held the dress he was making for Grace. The deep satin turquoise was beautiful. He wished she was there to try it on, but she wasn’t. He turned his attention to the fabric he had bought for Thanh Ho’s ao dai. The teal satin had swirls on it like the swirls in a river. The pants would be made of white crepe. He had his patterns already cut.

Mama came up into the studio. She saw Grace’s dress on the hanger rack and asked, “So you finished it?”

“Yes.”

“It is really beautiful honey. Grace is gonna love it.”

“Thanks.”

With a tremor in her voice, Mama said, “I need to talk to you about something.”

Immediately wary, Munch remained silent. Whatever something was, he probably wasn’t going to like it.

There was tension in Mama’s entire body. Her hands were clasp together and her knuckles were completely white. “Uhm, I met with Father Henri today and he thinks…” Her voice trailed off.

Though Munch knew he should help her out and prod her a bit, he remained silent. Whatever she needed to say, she was going to have to spit it out.

Several minutes passed before Mama said, “He thinks, Trace and I should spend some time, just us. So, we will be gone next Friday and Saturday night. You can stay at the house if you want or spend that time with Grandma Toady.”

A strange sense of relief flooded through Munch. He would get to spend less time with Trace Phelps. He wondered how Lolly felt about this. Aloud he said, “Okay. Does Lolly know?”

“No. Do you think she will be upset?” Mama’s eyes were large and she was on the verge of tears. Great.

He got up front the sewing machine and said, “Mama, how Lolly feels is between her and her pa. You just worry about you, okay?” Where in the hell had those words come from?

As Mama nodded tears slipped down her cheek. “Father Henri said the same thing. It’s just hard. Lolly and I used to be so close.”

This was true. Lolly had been great at accepting everything until she had to live with it. Munch had fought everything before it started and he was handling it better than Lolly. Life was just weird like that. He said, “Lolly’s going through a lot of stuff right now. Give her time. I think she will come around again.”

“You really think so?”

Honestly he did. Lolly was the kindest person he knew. “Yes. I do.”