learning to drive

i learned how to drive with stick-shift the other day when Maman Heytienne stuck me in her Fiat and said "bonne balade!" learning might be a bit of an overstatement. i somehow got myself on the only highway, unable to get off, and stalled at every round-about. i went from one end of the island to the other, through the marais salants where men sweep the salt into pyramids and scoop the flower of the salt from the surface of the swamp. i drove into the centreville, past the cathedral and market, and followed the road to another small town, past the pharmacy, and ended up at a dead-end: the ocean. i didn't know how to put the car into the reverse gear; i was stuck. as a last resort, but also because i was blocking a driveway, i got out of the car and asked the woman in the PT cruiser backing out of her driveway if she could help me. she said: "Oh! My friend has this car, I thought you were her coming to visit me!" when I explained the situation, she said "This car doesn't belong to Sophie Heytienne, does it?!" flabbergasted, i said: "Mais si!!!" Madame PT Cruiser and her husband have a home in Montreal and a chalet near mont tremblant. her husband drove me home as I didn't know the way back nor how to operate the vehicle, if i'm honest. the folks here on the island have theme parties every month or so, but the theme always changes. last saturday night was hawaiian, last month was moroccan and i'm not sure what the next will be. i spent most of the night drinking champagne and dancing to bowie with a 65 year-old woman named patricia. everyone was wearing luaus. madame PT cruiser and her husband were there. i ran into a girl, joy, whom i had met in paris and had a lunch-time feast - fresh italian food made by a fresh-talking italian - at joy's father's place the following day. collectively, we drank six bottles of wine. later, collectively, we napped on the beach.