Two Meters
(An empty car park behind a supermarket in Lyon, early on a Sunday morning.)
Delphine: Okay. Sit on the motorcycle. Both feet down.
Oscar: Like this?
Delphine: Good. Now, before we start — do you know the first law of driving?
Oscar: Um… don’t hit anything?
Delphine: Close. The first law is this: stay calm.
Oscar: Right. Calm. I’m very calm.
Delphine: Then why are your hands shaking?
Oscar: That’s just the wind.
Delphine: There’s no wind today. Okay. Slowly turn the handle. Slowly!
(The motorcycle jumps forward two meters and stops.)
Oscar: I did it! I moved!
Delphine: You moved. Your parking space is now behind you.
Oscar: So… can I drive on the road now?
Delphine: On the road? You’ve moved two meters. In two months, maybe.
Oscar: Two months?
Delphine: The law says you need to pass a test. And the test says you must stop without screaming.
Oscar: I didn’t scream!
Delphine: Oscar. I have ears.