When I think of Oklahoma City, I am reminded of the phrase, “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”

No…..nothing mysterious or clandestine. But, the only place I know….and can drive directly to…..in Oklahoma City is the McDonalds on North Highway I-35. That has always been my drop-off and pick-up destination for Sultan.

It is four and a half hours from my house…..but, it a straight shot. Once I get on the Kansas Turnpike in Topeka, it is a straight line. I can’t miss it…..unless I get lost in one of the service areas!

My latest…..and obviously my final….visit was a long four day weekend in August. I say “final” visit, because Sultan must return to Saudi Arabia at the end of his current language course.

As always, it was a joyous meeting. Almost any encounter with Sultan is happy and joyous. That is simply the kind of person he is…..bright, happy, smiling, positive, upbeat…..

His current landlord agreed to bring him to the McDonalds so I would not have to drive into Oklahoma City….something that I really do not feel would be safe for me to do. On this trip, I experienced a very fortunate…and lucky….coincidence. The hotel where I had booked a room was adjacent to McDonalds…..right across the street. Talk about good fortune! I immediately texted Sultan and told him to meet me in the parking lot of the Days Inn Motel. So….I suppose we can say that I actually didn’t meet him at McDonalds this time…..but at the Days Inn Motel…..another place I can add to my short list of places I can drive directly to in Oklahoma City.

After getting settled in our motel room….and enjoying some welcome relief from the sun…..we set off to explore Oklahoma City…..with Sultan driving, of course. I have driven through Oklahoma City a few times on my way to somewhere else. The only other time I can recall being in Oklahoma City was at a cross-country meet many, many years ago. Please don’t ask me where it was….or where we stayed…..or who was with me at the time….or even how they scored in the cross-country meet. For some reason, that information is completely blocked from my memory. The one…and only….thing I remember was touring the Cowboy Hall of Fame. For some reason, that sounded like a fun thing to do. But….where is the Cowboy Hall of Fame? What did we see there? I do not have a clue. So….as maybe you see, my knowledge of Oklahoma City was rather limited. Non-existent, in fact.

So….for that Friday afternoon, I left the sightseeing decisions to Sultan. After some thought, he decided to drive to Lake Hefner. Lake Hefner was a surprise for me. I had no idea such a large lake lay within the city limits of Oklahoma City. The lake covers more than 2500 acres and has about 18 miles of shore line. Actually, it looks much like a miniature Great Lake. On this sunny Friday afternoon, is was a busy place. People were walking, jogging, exercising their dogs, boating, picnicking, watching their kids play in the many playground areas, sitting on park benches….or just milling around in general….like us. Of course, there were the usual redneck teenagers driving over the many trails….showing off in their “hot” cars…..or at least, what they thought were hot cars.

Sultan and I drove around the lake in our definitely NOT hot car. We stopped occasionally to walk to the water’s edge and to take some pictures. But mostly we just drove around and looked. Our longest stop was at an impressive monument with a USA flag in its center. It was located on the very edge of the water, and it looked like a good photo opportunity. But, as is so many times the case, the space had already been appropriated by some teenagers or young adults…..and they appeared in no hurry to vacate their position….as they sat directly in the middle of the monument….talking loudly and laughing and trying to impress each other.

As we walked slowly back to our car, we watched the fishermen along the lake casting their lines into the water….and slowly reeling them back. Sultan found this to be much more fascinating than I did….. So we sat on a bench to rest and to watch the fishermen. As we sat watching a father and his son….both Mexican….the father looked at us….and then said something to his son. The kid approached Sultan and asked him if he would like to fish.

Sultan had told me several times that he would like to go fishing. I was never very encouraging about his desires. First of all, he would have to buy a fishing license. Then he would have to buy the fishing equipment. And, I suppose it would help if he actually knew how to use the equipment…..how to cast the line, what bait to use….. And, finally: I think fishing is boring….actually sort of a waste of time. I used to go fishing a lot right after I moved to my house. I fished in ponds; I fished on the banks of the Delaware River; I fished from the small boat that I owned at the time; I set lines in the river and checked them regularly. I have never caught a fish in my entire life. Not even one! So…..maybe you can understand why I am not an enthusiastic fisherman…..why I think it boring and a waste of time. If I want fish…. There is always WalMart! That is a sure thing.

At first, Sultan shook his head and said, “No, thank you.” But, then he looked at me….and I shook my head Yes….and said, “Yeah, go ahead and try it.” Sultan told the kid that he had never gone fishing before, but the little kid told him he would show him how. Casting a line into the water from a spin reel is an art….and it requires some skill timing and practice. The kid explained to Sultan how to hold the rod…and how to hold the line until the last second….before releasing it. This was something that was completely foreign to Sultan. He had ever held a rod and reel before…..and the skill seemed to elude him. His timing was off….the line never did sail gracefully out into the lake.

However, the kid was very patient. He never seemed to tire of explaining it “one more time”……along with a skilled demonstration. The boy was probably only around 10 or 11 year old….maybe even younger. But, he handled the rod and reel like a pro….and gracefully cast the line into the lake with no effort. But….Sultan is from the desert. He did not grow up fishing. This was a skill that he was not born with. He just did not seem to be able to coordinate his hand, the reel and the line.

I sat on the bench and watched….rather helplessly. Once upon a time….and not so long ago, considering everything…..I used to be able to also cast a line into the river with skill and ease. But….it has been too long ago. I would have been no help if I had intervened and tried to help. So….I sat and watched. Finally, I decided that I should be taking some pictures of this historic event….even though it was not very successful. After several attempts, it became apparent….at least I thought it was apparent….and probably Sultan did also…..that he was not going to become an expert fisherman that afternoon. For a while, Sultan would also have to buy his fish from WalMart.

Before we left, we thanked the young boy….and we thanked his dad….for being generous and thoughtful. And, when I think back upon the incident, it was a very kind thing for them to do. They certainly had no obligation of any sort of try to include Sultan in their activities. Maybe they could tell by looking at us that we were definitely not fishermen….and maybe saw some potential….in Sultan, at least. It was a great adventure for Sultan….and I hope that we adequately conveyed our appreciation of both the kid and his dad.

We left Lake Hefner to the late afternoon pleasure seekers…..to enjoy their Friday afternoon leisure….to begin relaxing after a long week at work. We turned our attention to looking at both of the schools that Sultan had attended during his stay in Oklahoma City. When Sultan first arrived in the USA, he attended a language school associated with Southern Nazarene University, a university controlled by the Church of the Nazarene….the church that I grew up attending during the early years of my life. I am not really clear on why he chose that school. As a matter of fact, he did not choose it. His brother, Fayez, chose it. And, I am not really clear on how he chose it. As is the case with so many foreign students….especially those from Asia and the Middle East….I can imagine it was one of those, “Somebody told me….” situations. I think it was a good language school. Certainly the students received a lot of personal attention because of the very low enrollment. In some cases, I think it was almost one-to-one instruction.

The low enrollment proved to be the reason for its demise. It was forced to close its doors due to the lack of students. Sultan then enrolled in a private language school…ELS…which is located in a vacant building on the campus of Oklahoma City University. I don’t know….. Maybe this is a more challenging school. His English language speaking ability has improved dramatically since he has been enrolled there…..and it is steadily getting better.

After looking at Sultan’s language schools, we did what would become our tradition for that evening….and the next two evening that I was in Oklahoma City. We went to Starbucks, bought some iced coffee and sat on the outside patio and talked. If I had my choice…..I would probably go to any coffee shop…except for Starbucks. Starbucks sells its name…..and for a premium price. I have never liked paying for a name….for its advertising….for its hype….for the illusion the advertising creates. I am not usually drawn into these phoney myths of superior quality…. For the most part, I am convinced that there are probably a thousand coffee houses….probably including McDonald’s…. that sell a higher quality of coffee….for a much lower price….than Starbucks. But….Sultan has been suckered into believing this fantasy….and he was driving. So….we spent an hour or so sitting in an uncomfortable chair on the patio at Starbucks…..waiting until it was time to eat our evening meal.

Sultan took me to his favorite Arab restaurant, called ZamZam, to eat. ZamZam is an all-you-can-eat buffet with a fairly large assortment of of tasty Arab food. And, the customers that night were what I expected: mostly Arab diners, but with a token number of Westerns….like me. One half of the building is devoted to the restaurant; the other half is occupied by a Hookah parlor, so to speak. Most of its customers appeared to be Arabs….although we really didn’t go check it out.

We sat at our table conversing with each other….and watching the TV sets that were scattered around the room. All of them were tuned to CNN. That was the night that the attempted coup took place in Turkey. That was the main story….the only story, in fact. And, as is true with most exclusively news channels, they had taken this story and ran with it. Insofar as the viewer could tell, this was the only event that was happening in the world that night. Their coverage was like beating a dead horse! Repeating the same facts…or rumors….over and over…..and over. We could have watched the first five minutes and learned the entire story. But, that is not the way news channels cover a story…. They give the same information again and again…..trying to make it sound dramatic…exclusive…. If CNN was treating a story in this manner….I can only imagine what Fox News was doing. Imagine, maybe….but I certainly am glad we did not have to find out first hand. Chances are they were blaming the entire incident on President Obama and Hillary Clinton. When we eventually got back to our motel room, I expected to find the story plastered all over my e-mail….Facebook…Bing News…. I found one matter-of-fact story….stating the basic facts. And, that was all I found.

After we left ZamZam, we looked for a bar where we could go and sit and talk. And, hopefully, a bar that was safe and relatively quiet. Sultan knew of the perfect place. I wish I had noted the name….but I didn’t. It was located on the edge of Lake Hefner. It had a generous outside seating area, which was filled almost to capacity. We managed to find a vacant table….and immediately claimed it for ourselves.

It was a pleasant summer night. We sat and talked and watched the lights of the boats in the lake….and the people walking along the sidewalk in front of the lake. It was an ideal place to sit and relax. If I lived in Oklahoma City, this would no doubt be high on my list of nighttime hangouts when I have guests. But….I often got the impression that Oklahoma is even more conservative that Kansas. (Of course, that is impossible….) Bars in Kansas usually stay open until the legal closing time of 2:00 A.M. In Oklahoma City, at least, the city seems to shut down at Midnight. The streets are rolled up….and the people disappear. When the waitress asked if we had any final order….somewhere around 11:45, we knew that the time had come to leave and drive back to our motel.

We woke up on Saturday morning, eager to explore part of Oklahoma City. At least, I was eager. Prior to going to Oklahoma City, I had searched the Internet for some interesting place to visit and some interesting things to do. I was reasonably sure that Sultan was probably not very familiar with the various attractions in city. And, with only two full days to spend there, I felt it was better to be prepared so we could use our limited time more efficiently. Nothing wastes time as fast as sitting around and saying, “Well, what shall we do?” Or driving aimless around town looking for something.

Actually, Oklahoma City does not have a lot of options. My first inclination would be to choose the state historical museum. But, I had read the description and found out that it was devoted primarily to the history of Indians in Oklahoma. And, the truth is: I am simply not very interested in Indians….and I doubted is Sultan had much of a desire to go there, either.

So…..I decided to make Saturday primarily an “art day”. But, before we could start the sightseeing, Sultan had a check which he wanted to deposit in his bank….The Bank of America. His GPS led us into the heart of downtown Oklahoma City…..to the main bank. That was OK with me. It gave us an opportunity to see that “downtown” Oklahoma City looked like. Sultan had never been downtown before….and, it goes without saying that I certainly had never been there before.

The Bank of America building had its headquarters in the tallest building in the city… A gleaming skyscraper of steel and glass. No doubt paid for by government bailout money from their ignominious collapse in 2008 ….and the other illegal operations they have been found to participate in. This being Saturday morning, of course, the bank was closed. The only bright spot in this little adventure was being able to see downtown Oklahoma City. And, like the downtown area of most large cities in the USA, it was dead. “Not a creature was stirring….not even a mouse.” I think it is sort of eerie to be among towering buildings….but see no people. But, like most cities, the downtown area of Oklahoma City has been given over mainly to office complexes…..and not retail stores.

OK….. The bank was not open. So we went in search of our first sightseeing venue: The Oklahoma Contemporary Art Association. They are located in a building which is part of the Oklahoma State Fair. Most of the gates to the fair grounds were closed, but we located an entrance and went in search of the building. The buildings on the fair grounds are poorly marked, to say the least. In fact, we were about to give up the search. As we were driving out of the compound, we only by lucky coincidence saw a sign that identified the building. There is no sign or identification of any sort on the building itself. Only a small, rather obscure sign on the outside.

We entered the building and briefly inspected some paintings hanging in the lobby. A woman was sitting at a desk at what appeared to be the main entrance to the gallery. We approached her and asked her how much a ticket cost. She was a very kind…and eager….and helpful woman. “Oh, we would never think of charging to look at art,” she said. Wow! Tell that to the people at MOMA in New York City!

We thanked her….and proceeded on to the gallery. We were the only people there. And, actually, there simply wasn’t much to look at. We walked around the room looking at the displays of modern art….. And, to be sure….there were several on display in the large room. When we finished looking in the first gallery, we glanced around to see where to go next. We saw an open room at the rear of gallery, but when we glanced in there, it turned out to be a sculpture studio. A few people where in there working on various pieces of pottery and other items. It obviously was not a part of public space….and clearly not part of the gallery’s display collection.

We retreated back to the front of the building, and asked the lady at the desk if there were any other galleries we could look at. She directed us to a room next door. She warned us that the room would produce an echo effect when we talked, because it was a converted telescope observatory. Sure enough….she was right. There was a large dome in the middle of the curved ceiling. Again, there were a few smaller pictures on display. I am not sure if they were originals….or if they were copies. Probably originals. We thanked the lady in charge…. And, in return, she thanked us profusely….before leaving the building.

Perhaps the most striking display was the front windows of the gallery. They were completely covered with colorful, contemporary murals…..giving the window an illusion of being made of stained glass. After leaving the building, we sort of surmised that although there was a small collection of contemporary art….enough for Google to list it in the “Things to Do in Oklahoma City”….it was primarily a school or a workshop area for hands-on teaching and artistic development. But….it was a pleasant diversion before moving on to other things.

The next “other thing” was to find a Bank of America so Sultan could deposit his check. We found a Bank of American branch that was open on Saturday. It proved to be a very popular place, contrary to most banks on a Saturday morning. Sultan said that many international residents use that bank…..because it is the only American bank they have heard of…..and maybe because the “of America” part leads them to believe it operated by the U. S. A. government. Nevertheless, a large portion of those waiting in line were obviously foreigners. The long line moved quickly, though. Bank employees circulated among the people asking what kind of transaction they wished to make. And, those who were not waiting to deposit money were directed to the proper office or person.

 

 

 

 

The teller that helped Sultan was an Arab speaking young lady, so between English and Arabic, the transaction went smoothly. Sultan produced his bank card….signed his name a couple times….picked up his receipt…..and we were out of there.

But sometimes things that seem to go well are not as they appear. Throughout the remainder of Saturday afternoon…..and all day Sunday…..Sultan repeatedly tried to use his debit card…..only to be informed by the ATM that he had no funds of deposit. Thinking maybe the ATM was faulty, we found another ATM….. Same result. Thinking maybe that not enough time had elapsed between the transaction….we waited a while. Same result. No funds on deposit.

It was obvious that Sultan was a little bit upset….and certainly worried. But, he had kept his receipt. There was nothing to do but wait and take care of it when the bank opened on Monday.

For our afternoon enjoyment we chose to go to the Oklahoma Museum of Art. It was another opportunity to venture into downtown Oklahoma City again….actually not very far from the ill-fated trip to the Bank of American earlier that same morning. It may have been more efficient….time-wise, at least…..to have gone there in the morning since were already almost within walking distance from it. But, neither Sultan nor I knew anything about where these places were located. Neither of us could predict their location by looking at their address. We were dependent on the trusty GPS….and strictly at its mercy.

We had no problems locating the building. Our major problem became one of finding a parking place within walking distance of the museum. The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is located quite near the Civic Center Music Hall. There was obviously an important even taking place there later in the afternoon or evening…..and already parking lots and parking spaces had been blocked off in preparation for the event. We managed to find a parking spot about a block from the building…. Not bad considering the number of spaces that had already been closed.

The Oklahoma City Museum of Art is not exactly on the same level as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. But….on the other hand, the Valley Falls High School gym isn’t really comparable to Allen Field House. But…. It gets the job done….and that is what counts. On this occasion the museum was displaying an exhibit of paintings by Henri Matisse….a French artist who specialized in impressionistic painting. Matisse is a fairly contemporary artist, having died in 1954. The paintings hanging the galleries were on loan from the Pompidou Center in Paris, one of the most prominent modern art museums in the world.

In addition to the several paintings of Matisse….which I rather suspect were not his most famous, but nevertheless impressive…..were other paintings from their permanent collection. At least on the afternoon we were there, the paintings in the galleries consisted entirely of modern and abstract art. I do not know… Maybe it is like this all the time. In any case, abstract art is my preferred form of art….so I was pleased. Sultan seemed attracted to it immediately. Sultan seemed to like and appreciate the art almost immediately….a fact that both surprised and pleased me. As a matter of fact, judging by the number of pictures he took, I think he could have them all enlarged….and start his own little art gallery back in his hometown in Saudi Arabia….where I can imagine that this type of art is completely foreign……and, knowing the Saudi Arabians, probably illegal.

 

 

 

 

On Saturday evening we continued our three-day tradition by returning to Starbucks and ordering some form ice-coffee. We sat on the outside patio and talked….and watched the Oklahoma City redneck teenagers roar past trying to show off with what they considered to be their “hot” cars. The truth be told….most of the cars simply sounded like their mufflers had rusted out and needed to be replaced. But, I am not complaining. It was pleasant sitting there, trying to shield my face from the sun…..and drinking overpriced Starbucks coffee.

Later, as the sun was sinking below the horizon, we returned to ZamZam, Sultan’s favorite Arab restaurant….the same place we had eaten Friday night….for our supper. It was the same delicious buffet….the same food we had already eaten. But, this time something went wrong. I didn’t notice it immediately, but after I went to bed that night, I had an acute case of indigestion! I wasn’t really sick…. There was no danger of vomiting or anything like that. But, for most of the night, I lay in bed, extremely uncomfortable….with a big glob of undigested food in my stomach. Sultan went to sleep immediately. He had no idea that I was lying in the adjacent bed….wide awake…and feeling miserable. I drank copious amounts of water, hoping that would help. It didn’t. There was a bottle of pop in the refrigerator. I drank that….in hopes the fizz would break up the food. It didn’t. I remembered that I had a package of Tums in the car. I pulled on a shirt and shorts and thongs….went to the car and got them. Maybe they would help. They didn’t.

I am not really sure I got any sleep that night. If I did sleep….it was not for very long periods at a time. It was a long, miserable night…..and a lonely night. There really wasn’t a lot I could do without waking Sultan. And, I didn’t want to do that. Why have two miserable people? By sunrise on Sunday morning, I was feel just a bit better….although not much. Eating breakfast….a little bit, at least….seemed to help, too. Although not much. But, as the morning progressed, I had begun to feel better. At least, I was feeling more and more confident that perhaps I would live.

There were two big events on the agenda for Sunday. Three, actually. Before we did anything else, I thought it would be a good idea to drive to the driver’s license bureau where Sultan would take his driving test on Monday morning. He had been there before…although not from the location of our motel….and he did not drive there himself. Being very cautious by nature, I thought it was a good idea to make a practice run….just as extra insurance….and for my peace of mind.

Our first stop of the day was at the Oklahoma City National Memorial…..site of the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building which was bombed in April of 1995, killing 168 people. The museum is closed until noon on Sunday, but the memorial is open 24 hours a day, 356 days a year for the public to view. The outdoor memorial is simple, but impressive. The memorial is framed by two Gates of Time….located at opposite ends of a reflecting pool. One gate represents 9:01 A. M., one minute before the bomb detonated…..the second gate symbolizes 9:03 A. M., one minute after the explosion, the minute the healing process began.

To the side of the reflecting pool, there are 168 bronze and stone chairs representing the number of people killed in the blast. Each chair is resting on a glass base with the name of the victim engraved on it. Even now more than twenty years later, people still leave flowers and other souvenirs in remembrance of the people they lost.

The second major event of the day was a visit to the Science Museum of Oklahoma. This turned out to be an interactive and entertaining occasion. Many….if not most museums…..are rows of displays behind glass-enclosed cabinets….with signs warning to “Do Not Touch”. This museum was the polar opposite. Almost every exhibit was constructed as a “hands-on” exhibit. One might thinks that it was intended exclusively for school children…..and there were plenty of young people there….. But, there were people of all ages who were enjoying the learning experience by actively engaging with the exhibits.

Sultan was no exception. One of the fun experiences he had was riding a Segway scooter….something I wish I had been brave enough to try. There were a multitude of other exhibitions dealing with such diverse topics and weather, physics, space, sound, health, magnetism…. There was even a house of mirrors…..and a room full of visual illusions. It was also fun to stand in front of the “green screen”…..like the one they have in TV studios to do the weather forecast. That is….it was fun until a couple kids came barging in front of us. A couple redneck kids with no visible manners who had apparently strayed from their parents….who probably had no manner either. Why do you think kids get that way?

We looked at a great many of the exhibits…. Sultan even experimented with a few of them….certainly more than I did. I did venture into a “wind tunnel”….where the wind speed was gradually increased from Zero to around 80 mph or somewhere around hurricane force. The wind wasn’t as strong as I had imagined it to be. Although Sultan actively engaged in many of them…..It was I who was able to decipher far more of the visual illusions.

To have tried out each station would have taken much more time than we had available, but we saw enough and participated enough to make the couple hours we spent there well worth our time. And, it remarkable how quickly time passes when a person is actively engaged as a participant….rather than merely a passive observer. The Science Museum of Oklahoma would be a good model for other museums to copy….if they want to improve their effectiveness….and their appeal.

Our only misadventure….a little embarrassing, but certainly not our fault….was when we wandered into an art exhibition which was being held in the museum building. We saw the advertisement. It looked interesting. We decided to investigate it. There was a young man seated near the door….. We walked right past him…..completely unnoticed. He was reading a good…and never even looked up at us. We honestly never gave him a second thought. Once we were inside the large room….a gallery, I suppose….another guy came walking toward us. “Do you have a ticket?” he asked.

“A ticket? Nobody told us we had to have a ticket,” I responded.

“Yes…. This is not part of the science museum,” he said.

“Oh…. Sorry….,” we said, as we retreated toward the entrance.

As we walked back out the door, the guy was still sitting in his chair….still reading a book….still paying no attention to us. I thought it was a rather strange situation….and I wonder how many other people just walked right past him….unnoticed…. And, I also wonder why they continue to employ a person who so obviously was not doing his job. Oh well….I really don’t think we missed much. It was an exhibit we certainly would never have paid money to see… But….Like they say, “It’s the principle…..”

Following this adventure, we drove back to our motel for a few minutes of nap time….getting ready for my final night in Oklahoma City. When we started out again, we took some stray pictures that I had neglected to take prior to then….odds and in’s that had eluded my attention. Again, this Sunday night, we found ourselves sitting in our “favorite” Starbucks….in our same “favorite” spot….waiting until it was time to eat supper.

Not wanting to tempt fate again….I was not at all looking forward to another sleepless night with indigestion…..we made the decision to find different place to eat. We settled on Indian food and found an Indian buffet that was still open. And….remember, things close early in Oklahoma City. We arrived at the Indian place about 8:45…..plenty of time to eat before its posted closing time at 9:30. We were among the very few people eating there that night….or at least, at that time. Shortly after 9:00, it became quite apparent that the owner wanted to close the place down…..with the waiters standing around looking at us…..and asking, “Will you need anything else from the buffet?” Well, I wasn’t born yesterday. It was time to get out of there and let them go home….and do whatever it is that people in Oklahoma City do at 9:30 at night. Probably go to bed.

We returned to the motel to get a good night’s sleep before my final day with Sultan.

From the first minute I met Fayez at the Days Inn Motel, he did all the driving. The number one reason was that I did not want to drive in Oklahoma City. My vision is not good enough; my reaction time is not quick enough; and I am totally unfamiliar with the city. The second reason that Sultan did all the driving was to give him some additional experience….a sort of refresher course…..before he took his driving test. Sultan is a good driver. No doubt about it. His main fault is not consistently obeying the traffic rules and regulations. Not because he doesn’t know them…..but because he often sees no point in obeying them.

“No cars are coming.” “Nobody cares.” “Nobody else obeys them.” “I will do it when I take the test.” A typical teenager. No….more than likely, a typical driver. Anyway, I was pretty insistent that he follow the rules….whether anybody was looking or not. Turn into the correct lane. Stop behind the stop sign. Signal every for every turn…even when changing lanes…. And, of course, I already knew that he would follow all the rules when the examiner was sitting beside him. But….my theory: Make it a habit, and then you do not have to even think about it.

We arrived at the driver’s license bureau in plenty of time. There were already several people waiting in line when the got there. “Is there anybody here who is taking their driving test today?” the guy in charge called out. Sultan seemed to be the only one. Lucky break. He immediately filled out the proper forms…..paid the fee….and we proceeded back to our car to wait for the examiner to arrive.

Sultan was confident. I was confident. We looked up and saw a black man walking toward us. He was the one and only black examiner….among four or five others. I didn’t think very much about it. “You’ll have to wait here…..,” he told me.

“Duhhhhh….” I thought and politely moved aside, leaving Sultan and the examiner to themselves. I started walking back to the building. I turned around to watch for a minute. Left front signal light…..right front signal light…..lights…dim…bright; windows….up then down; brakes…. Yes, they work; horn…Yeah, I heard it…..

I started walking on toward the building to wait. I happened to turn around to see if they had left…..and I saw the black guy walking back toward the building. I stopped him… Well, he didn’t actually stop…he just kept on walking…. “How did he do?” I asked assuming that maybe it was all finished. He just kept on walking. “Ask him,” he more or less snarled, as he continued walking.

Sultan had no idea what had happened. The guy told him only that the car had not passed inspection…..and had pointed at the strip of dark tint that goes across the top of my front windshield. I was totally confused….and puzzled. What had gone wrong? Having a strip of tint across the top of the windshield is not illegal. In fact, it is a safety feature. I am not sure how to describe what Sultan was feeling. Disbelief? Confusion? Puzzlement? And, to make matters worse, his language skills at the time were not good enough to ask the guy what the problem was. “Tint” was not even a part of his vocabulary.

We sat in the car for a couple minutes just trying to absorb what had gone wrong….what the problem was….what we had neglected to take into consideration…..

After a bit of discussion, Sultan….with a feeling of futility….said that he would simply renew his learner’s permit. I was still not satisfied. In fact, I was a little angry by the manner in which the black guy had treated both Sultan and me. We walked back into the building so Sultan could renew his learner’s permit. The guy in charge….and another of the inspectors…..recognized us and came over and asked us what the problem was. I told him honestly that I did not know. And, Sultan told him that he did not understand what the guy had said to him.

The man in charge and the other guy were also puzzled….and disappeared for a few minutes before returning. It turned out that it did indeed involved the strip of dark tint in the front windshield. Its height exceeded the Oklahoma regulation. It was one-fourth inch too high! A quarter inch. I explained to the man that this was my car….registered in Kansas….and it was not the car that Sultan would be driving. They looked at each other and sort of shrugged their shoulders. Both of them were sympathetic. “No,” they said. They were not in a position to over-rule another inspector’s decision. Could we make an appointment for tomorrow? Could Sultan borrow somebody’s car? Did he have a friend who could bring him there?

OK…. Those are the facts. That is the chronology of what took place.

Now for my opinion: I can just imagine the satisfaction the black man felt in summarily rejecting the safety of the car. I can imagine the feeling of power he must have felt being able to show him domination over an old while guy….and a young Arab boy. And, over such a petty detail. His word was final. He had proved that he was important….that he was a big dog…..that there was nothing the white guy and Arab kid could do about his decision.

There was nothing we could do about his decision. I told Sultan that this was a good example of the attitude many black people have toward Caucasians. “Yeah….I’m in power now. I’ll show you who’s boss.”

The people at the driver’s license bureau gladly completed the forms so that Sultan could renew his learner’s permit. We had to take the paperwork to another bureau in order to actually get the license. We were both feeling rather low and depressed when we left the building. We realized that his was purely a power play….and it had little or nothing to do with the safety of my car…..or the merits of Sultan’s driving.

Our final project of the morning….indeed of my stay in Oklahoma City…..was to return to the Bank of America where Sultan had deposited his money the previous Saturday. I was satisfied that the problem with his deposit was not serious. He had his deposit slip, and any problem could be quickly resolved. I was right. Again, there was a long line of people waiting, but a representative soon approached Sultan and asked why he was there. After looking at his deposit slip…..and checking her little hand-held computer, she soon discovered the problem: People can deposit money on Saturday….but it is not recorded until the following Monday. His money had been duly deposited….Sultan was happy and relieved. A crisis averted.

We ate lunch…..somewhere. And, then it was time for me to head back to Kansas. This time, I took Sultan to the house where he lives…..instead of to McDonalds’. The house is only one block from a main road that leads straight to I-35. It was a straight line….. Surely I would not get lost in Oklahoma City.

It had been a great three days…..full of adventure and fun and odd twists…. I was sad to leave. But, it was time to get “On the Road Again.”

I spent the night in a rather second-rate motel in Blackwell, Oklahoma, before proceeding on home the following morning. All good things must eventually come to an end. And, spending time with Sultan is definitely a good thing.