Fiction: Shoes and Motorcycles (2)

}9MXE~XvG/o0Downpour

It’s been drizzling outside for days since Mark was in a cold war with Meow, making him even more upset and annoyed in the day, so he decided to go out for a drink alone, thinking that maybe in a bar he would find the one sitting next an old friend that has been apart for years. He is such a person, full of imagination, even in his bad time.

In the rain were walking lots of people with umbrella in hands, most of them in couples. As the umbrellas move, the street was like a river on which were floating multicolor mushrooms. The sound of splash blended in the moaning of the passing cars, making a melody of city life.

Fresh air, I need fresh air!! Mark breathed heavily and felt like walking in the air. He never felt this way, like a bird set free after ages in a cage.

It does no harm to wallow sometimes.

After minutes’ walking, he stopped by a bar on the corner, out of which parked a Mini cooper which had been his dream car for years. He was a big fan of MINI.

In there was sitting only a man in the dim light of the bar.

“Nice car, man.” Mark walked over to the man, and sat down.

The man turned to Mark, eyes on him, after a pause he said: “you are Mark, right?”

“You know me? But I don’t think we have met before? Wait…” Mark tried hard to place his face.

“Two years ago, you fixed me up with Annie, remember her?”

“So sorry, but it doesn’t ring a bell…”Mark looked right at him, his nostrils getting big and his eyes opening wide, “Oh my god, lawyer Annie Reed, right? You are so lucky, man.”

“Call me Eric”

“OK, Eric, so how are you doing with Annie? It’s been a long time…” It’s getting a little weird in the air, when Mark questioned.

“She is gone, in a car accident…last year,” Eric guzzled down a mug of beer and said.

“Oh my god, oh my god… it can’t be!!” Mark couldn’t believe his ears.

“You want a beer?” Eric asked Mark, and then called the barman ““Two beers”.

 “How could it happen?”

“It was the Mini outside. She said he loved Mini cooper, so I bought her one, I also bought her whatever she asked for…I promised her to have dinner that night, and kissed her goodbye in the morning, but I never thought it was a kiss goodbye for good, on her way back from the supermarket, she just… it’s really tough, I should have been with her that day…it couldn’t have happened if I drove her there, or maybe took a bus…”

“Come on, Eric, not your fault”

“No, it was”, with tears sparkling in eyes, Eric continued, “on hearing the nightmare I fell to pieces, then I wallowed in alcohol for months, every morning it’s so horrible to wake up without her by my side, I was going nuts… she is gone, and never came back…” Eric couldn’t help sobbing, speaking of this, “I promised her a dinner together.”

Deep sorrow and sympathy well up in Mark’s heart, with them came a overwhelming fear, the fear of losing Meow, the fear to wake up to find Meow gone some morning…

Eric continued, “She used to complain I was a crap that couldn’t give her a big house, a nice car…a diamond ring. But now I can, you see, I have a MINI, she loves MINI, damn MINI”

Eric’s voice was moaning at his ears, so pale, and never ending…

“Thanks for the beers, I gotta go.” Mark stood up and headed for the gate.

“You need a ride?”

“No, I don’t need a car. Damn MINI”

It’s pouring outside, just like Eric pouring the beer. Minds will clear up like the sky after a downpour. At that moment Mark couldn’t wait to see Meow, and ask her, “what about dinner tonight?”