my pet dragon

"It's so fun!" they told me. "I love it! You'll love it!"
An alarming number of them offered to come on over and teach me themselves.
Thanks, guys, I love you, but, you know.
My mom taught me instead, and I ... was not good at it.
I think Mom might have been scared for her life.
I know I was.
Then my dad taught me, and I was a little better, but not very much.
It was a beast, a wild animal. It had a mind of its own.
Could I control it? That was always the question, teetering on the edge of a knife.
And if I couldn't - death and destruction loomed.
So I left it at home, safe. I was safe, it was safe. Everyone was happy.
Except the people who saw me without it all the time.
"Are you still afraid of that thing?" they asked, and they laughed, and they poked me.
Maybe they didn't really poke me.
But they poked me with their eyes.
Anyway, they said, "Just do it! It's not nearly as bad as you think."
I know, I know. I will. Sometime. You know. When I'm ready.
I almost did it once. I walked up alone and looked at it. I almost did it.
But it glared at me and bristled, and I drew back my hand.
I remembered how long it had been, how much I'd probably forgotten.
Another time, maybe.
I knew I had to do it. It was starting to feel weird. Ridiculous.
Then people started threatening me, and I really knew I had to do it.
I asked Dad for one more lesson.
It went a little better.
I thought, maybe, maybe, maybe I can do this.
I'll do it tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
...tomorrow.
Sweaty-palmed, tomorrow I did it.
Nobody was watching. That was good.
Slowly at first, then gaining speed until we flew - together, and not dead.
That was good, too.
All the way there, and around to this place and that place, and safely back home again.
I alighted, a full foot taller than when I left.
I was Master.
The beast was conquered.
Wild and ravenous, but under my gentle iron fist it became a lamb.
It is sleek and black, quivering with power.
I will call it Toothless, and it will be mine. Really mine.
For I am Master.
Master of the manual transmission - the Saturn Vue.