cy mba l s
2 021 : met hod a nd mad nes s
Madeline’s Driving The fog this morning was a bit worrisome, but it was not so much the fog that was on my mind. Sometime this week, I had to bring my walnut Japanese Kumiko lamp into school. The intricate cedar geometric pattern had taken four months alone to hand cut each of the 126 individual half-lap joints. The other three months produced the 1.5” dark, thick walnut outer frame with the reddish-brown cherry inner frame, which contrasted and highlighted the light and frail Kumiko design. The heavy yet delicate piece was a testament to my advanced woodworking skills, and I just needed to gloss it with one last coat of finish. So, I decided to trust Madeline to safely transport me the one and a half miles to school while the lamp sat in my lap like a baby. This was a mistake. Now I usually think twice before allowing others to dictate whether I live or die, but my brain was not fully functioning at 7:30 in the morning, five minutes after I had just rolled out from under the darkness of my thick, fuzzy blanket. My drowsy self wandered over to Madeline’s room and asked, “Hey bro, you cool driving?” With a look of confusion and a slight giggle, she responded with an unsure “Sure, bro?” “Cool, bro.” Somehow my lack of sleep and focus on getting my precious to school that morning made me lose track of the important things in life — such as surviving and feeling safe. As Madeline pulls out of the driveway with my lamp, my brothers, and me, I suddenly realize that Madeline is, in fact, driving us to school. Oh no. Wait. No. Madeline is driving us to school. She asks what’s wrong, so I give her a forced smile and tell her that everything’s good (it’s too late to turn back now anyway). Going down the narrow Drakes Corner Road, Madeline drifts over the yellow line while going 40 in a 25. The car shakes left to right, and all my attention and energy goes into making sure that my precious lamp stays at least six inches away from the ceiling and door and 12 inches away from Madeline. Once the Drakes Corner roller coaster comes to an end, turning onto Great Road is far easier than expected. There are no cars in sight, so Madeline takes her time and gracefully turns the wheel, allowing the car to swiftly pull out. 41
