Driving Permit Part 4

I went back to take my permit test again! I studied the driving manual and took the online tutorials like four times. A lady on the bus told me to study the questions about the alcohol and the road signs. She was right.

The dmv was packed but I went straight to the test room. Right outside the testing room door it says "STOP you must not Enter until you are called." You are supposed to disregard that sign and just walk in. There were a few others there. I was put on computer four. One, two and three were taken. I took a deep breath. I started and I knew all the answers, then there were two question that I was 75% sure of so I skipped those for later. I finished the rest of the test in a few minutes. Before I could answer the skipped questions, the test ended and said I passed! Green all the way. The three others who were on their computers were still taking their test.

I had to work not to do the football touch down dance. I sat down and waited for my results to print out. I saw myself driving. I saw the car, me behind the wheel. I was a step closer. No more 30 minute waits, no more wasted freakin time waiting and waiting.

I saw the red rectangle of failure pop up for everyone of those other people who failed the test.

The elder behind the desk had a cloud like white afro and fluffy beard. He had a sprinkle of dark moles on his face. He called folks by name and told them they passed or failed. Like we could not read that on the screen. Like some of us weren't cursing ourselves for getting three wrong. He told them when they could return. One guy could not come back for a week that meant he failed twice.
He finally called me. He asked me if I wanted to pick up my permit today. Of course. I said. Not knowing the wait the was before me!
He handed me a slip of paper. Another receipt with bar code. I was B29 when I went back to the waiting room they were at B9. I waited and texted.

A middle aged father with a baseball cap and his pimply faced kid sat breathlessly next to me. The father had the driving book and was quizzing the son. I gave them the same advice the woman on the bus gave me, study the alcohol and the road signs. The father looked through the driving manual for info about driving and alcohol.
"The stuff about the drinking and driving is in the other book." I told them.
"Another book! There's another book? There's no other book."
"Yep and on the test there were at least five questions from that book. You won't find anything about drinking and driving in that one." He looked at the table of contents, he flipped through the book. I was reading my book and looking at them. The father finally got up to find the other book.
The son asked me questions. He said he hadn't studied anything.
They were called. And finally it was my turn.
An unsmiling woman took my receipt and scanned it. She typed for a while and then said, "How will you paying for that?"
And silly me said, "How much is the permit?"
"Fifty dollars."
"Oh! Wow, I didn't know their was a charge...I didn't bring....I never saw anything about a charge."
The next customer was already waiting behind the chair I was sitting in.
The unsmiling woman handed me the receipt.