Right Of Way (Short Story)
It all happened so fast, so fast those who heard the screech of tires did not see the actual impact, just two cars utterly smashed into each other.
The first man, quite elderly, emerged from the ruins completely amazed, he looked himself over for a second and then his mind was suddenly switched back to the anger that had engulfed him just a few seconds earlier.
There he is! He thought, furious. He strode pompously over to the other driver who had equally, quite miraculously, emerged unscathed and was looking himself over. They have both survived the crash.
“How could you, you miscreant,” shouted the elderly man, “it was my right of way, how could you drive that cheap jalopy in my way?”
“You call me a miscreant! You old fool; did you not see my headlamp flashing? I even horned; you must have been deaf too.”
“That car is worth three million, and I will clean up everything you have earned in your entire miserable life to replace it, I am a barrister at law.”
“Barrister,” the younger man scoffed, “I see why you thought this was a court room where liars like you thrive. Was it not obvious there were other road users?”
“What do you know about life, law or even road rule, you daft! You have to pay for the mess. That’s a must.”
“You call me a daft? I hold a first class degree in electrical engineering,” he raged, “and I am a first grade lecturer, and if only you thought of things other than your egocentric self for just a sec I wouldn’t have my car so smashed.”
“I feel nothing but pity for you, young man. By the time I was through with you, there would be no befitting place for you but a concrete hole with metal bars, this town answers when I call.” He reached for his suite pocket and realized his phone was missing. He turned towards his car and froze.
The younger man followed his terrified stare and went still.
There, a few meters away, were about a dozen men pulling out their mangled bodies from the crushed cars
“Are we dead?” the younger man suddenly asked terrified.
“I don’t know” the older man replied shivering.
They silently watched, unseen, unheard, their hands slowly meeting.
JUDE IFEME
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The first man, quite elderly, emerged from the ruins completely amazed, he looked himself over for a second and then his mind was suddenly switched back to the anger that had engulfed him just a few seconds earlier.
There he is! He thought, furious. He strode pompously over to the other driver who had equally, quite miraculously, emerged unscathed and was looking himself over. They have both survived the crash.
“How could you, you miscreant,” shouted the elderly man, “it was my right of way, how could you drive that cheap jalopy in my way?”
“You call me a miscreant! You old fool; did you not see my headlamp flashing? I even horned; you must have been deaf too.”
“That car is worth three million, and I will clean up everything you have earned in your entire miserable life to replace it, I am a barrister at law.”
“Barrister,” the younger man scoffed, “I see why you thought this was a court room where liars like you thrive. Was it not obvious there were other road users?”
“What do you know about life, law or even road rule, you daft! You have to pay for the mess. That’s a must.”
“You call me a daft? I hold a first class degree in electrical engineering,” he raged, “and I am a first grade lecturer, and if only you thought of things other than your egocentric self for just a sec I wouldn’t have my car so smashed.”
“I feel nothing but pity for you, young man. By the time I was through with you, there would be no befitting place for you but a concrete hole with metal bars, this town answers when I call.” He reached for his suite pocket and realized his phone was missing. He turned towards his car and froze.
The younger man followed his terrified stare and went still.
There, a few meters away, were about a dozen men pulling out their mangled bodies from the crushed cars
“Are we dead?” the younger man suddenly asked terrified.
“I don’t know” the older man replied shivering.
They silently watched, unseen, unheard, their hands slowly meeting.
JUDE IFEME
Subscribe to POETICALLY SPOKEN by Email
So the two idiots finally understood that life is more important that crashed cars.lol!
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