He Changes The Weather

Gluten-free whole grain fucker

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons fills the silence inside the car when Gregory opens his eyes again. It rains outside, although not heavily, nothing unusual for English summers. They are in narrow country roads with trees as canopies. Gregory could see the emptiness of the road matches with Alexander speed. It seems Alexander drives with a destination in his mind with the speed he is going.

Gregory’s head is groggy with sleep, his body tense, Sweat prickles on his temple even though the temperature inside the car is nowhere near hot. Every thing is stifling him, even his threadbare t-shirt feels like a burden on his body. Exhaustion runs underneath his skin, he feels feverish. His body is sweet with fever.

“Change of plans, we are meeting the doctor in my friend’s estate. You want something to eat?” Alexander grabs a paper bag from the backseat. Gregory accepts it and peers inside. “Wow, you crashes into my flat and all you could afford to reward me is sandwich with a fucking wheat bread?”. Gregory eyes the bag in discontent. “It’s actually gluten free whole grain bread”. Gregory sighs. Well, beggars can’t be choosers.  

Gregory pays attention the car interior there is nothing personal inside. The classical music comes from an IPhone docked to the audio. Everything else is pristine although the car doesn’t have the new car smell. The seatbelt is also stiff not worn; no one really uses the passenger side of the car. As much as normalcy a Prius could bring, the car itself doesn’t fit for an everyday car. Too clean, too new and no personal touches everywhere.

The paper bag is another bag coming from a bakery. The smell itself is not too inviting like a normal sandwich since it’s gluten free whole seed bread. Gregory can’t even fathom how someone could bake bread without flour. That itself already make the bread sound sinister.

After the second bite Gregory could conclude two things. One, Alexander is a fucked up bastard who buy fucking gluten free bread. Two, Gregory would rather dies in that explosion rather than taste the bread again.

Alexander takes a turn to even narrower country roads which seeing the scenery outside the windows, they are going to some remote village. Maybe, Alexander is taking him into one of Lords mansion in England. Using the word estate, Gregory conclude what he was saying is not a simple house. The estate probably has horses and a lake. “Can you shoot a gun?” asked Alexander out of nowhere  After the stretched silence, this question throws Gregory off the loop. Making up his mind that he doesn’t want to share any personal information with this man, Gregory doesn’t bother answering “Your choice of food sucks dick and not even swallowing” He then moves his hand to the audio.

He desperately wants to change the music, classical music just not his alley. Although that mean he should touch Alexander IPhone and that thought scares him. Should he ask him to change the music? . Gregory fidgets in his seat, considering this option

 He remembers leaving behind his beloved IPod inside the flat, also his beloved best friend. A dead one, that is. How does a realization could hit someone a second time and still hurt as much as the first time?. When the thought of Ian being dead first occurred to him. His adrenaline and the crowd drowned it. Now with only the notes of Beethoven’s Romances accompanying his hearing. And Alexander’s silence is noted the whole time in his mind.  Ian dead, lying on the floor of there cramped flat with blood pooling under him. This thought caused his chest constricted.

Who is Alexander? His mind is scrambling to find at least some clues. He dresses well, the white shirt he is wearing fits perfectly. His pinstriped black pants must have been tailored to fit his figure. He looks like he is missing his suit jacket and well placed suspenders. The formal wear contrasts slightly with the casual way he moves. He lets out the Eton boy vibe, but his accent is not as polished like theirs.

The song hit the end note and changes to Symphony no. 9. The song seems to pick up his mood. Alexander taps his finger to the steering wheel following the note of the song. “I used to play the violin, the music stuck with me” He explains himself. It almost feels like he could sense Gregory’s curiosity about him. Casual, plays violin, educated and well dressed. Not to forget the whole seed bread part.

Gregory shrugs, “ I never one for classical music. By the fucking way, since now it is your time to speak out. Who the fuck are you and what has Ian done until he got shots in the fucking head before a building exploded in front of his house?”

The question doesn’t make Alexander look him at the eye, his focus solely on the road before him. The grey surrounding causes his coppery hair almost looks black. He opens his mouth to speak after he rubs his chin in frustration.

“Gregory, my line of work is confidential and the subjects of it is fragile. If Ian didn’t put your identity in his paper, you would never be dragged into this mess. But here you are, as much as it is inappropriate. I should take you to the Base for questioning”. 

This explanation should make Gregory understand or some thing. But, Alexander’s head must have hit something when he was a child. Because, for fuck’s sake that explanation just make Gregory wants to punch Alexander on the face again.

Gregory calculated his position. He has no family, no worthy relationship, he is as broke as a graduate student with looming student debt can be and his life is numbingly dull. He has nothing to lose, not anymore since Ian gone. What he got to lose is none. He could at least follow Alexander and get some answers. It would at least soothe his curiosity. Even though that would kill him. Alexander, turning his head left to Gregory, studies his expression for a moment. “Do you have anymore question needs to be answered?”

Gregory tilts his head sideways, facing Alexander back. “If you don’t actually drive Lamborghini and drive a Prius instead. Not to mention the whole gluten free bread fucker. Are you or are you not a Greenpeace extremist?”