Wherever Souls Fly - Luke's Story

4 A promise that wasn't kept

As Luke insists that he wasn't stupid enough to climb a train car at the railway station, we decide to visit the family of the guy named Roman who was run over by a car first. Google Street View shows us they live in a run-down apartment building near the centre of the neighbouring city.

Freddy will pay a visit to the family, pretending he spent a year studying in Salamanca/Spain and is now trying to revive contacts with friends from school. His natural tan will make his story credible, and he will introduce Luke as a Spanish student he met there. The rest of us will be waiting in the car, because the family might feel overwhelmed if all the five of us invaded their flat.

We don't have to wait long before Freddy and Luke return. Although Muhammad addressed many flaws of our plan, he neglected the psychological impact of our visit. We all did.

"That wasn't a good idea, guys," says Freddy. "They didn't even invite us in. Roman's mother opened the door, and she immediately started crying when I told her my story. Then her husband came and gave us a copy of the obituary notice. He asked us to come back later, but call them so that they would be prepared. They are obviously still in deep mourning. Honestly, I feel quite guilty. And we'll definitely call Kevin's family before we go there."

Pete, who advised Luke to pay attention to things like the sound of the parents' voices, the smell of the flat and his emotions upon entering the flat in general, asks him:

"Did you feel anything familiar?"

"Not at all. There was a penetrating smell of detergent which I didn't like at all, and the father's breath stank of alcohol."

"It looks like the parents' world has completely collapsed," adds Pete. "The mother seems to be tidying the flat all the time, and the father was drunk although it's just after noon. They both looked sick."

"Do you think Roman was their only child?"

"I guess so, because the death notice only mentions the parents and two grandmothers."

On the way back home the mood is quite depressed. I don't know what kind of reaction we expected – it's clear that we didn't think this action through. Back on the patio – it's another beautiful summer's day – we discuss how to avoid the mistakes we made next time, but the only immediate consequence is that Pete calls Kevin's family.

As he has switched on the speaker, we can all listen. A guy called Matthias answers the call, Kevin's younger brother. When Pete has told him the Salamanca story, we get a puzzling reaction:

"Were you a member of the gang of assholes Kevin hung out with? Cos if you were, you better not show up here, or my dad and I will belt your ass."

Well, that doesn't sound like a brother in grief. Pete protests he wasn't:
"I didn't hang out with him. I only let him copy my homework sometimes." He pauses to think for a second. He decides to not talk badly about a deceased person. "Honestly, I don't think he's a bad guy. He may have been in bad company when we were at school, but I actually liked him. Can I talk to him?"

"No, you can't. That asshole thought he'd survive 15,000 volts."

"Are you saying Kevin has passed away?"

"Exactly. He got hit by heavy current when he climbed on a train car near the main station, but they say that didn't kill him. He broke his neck when he fell off the car. Now I'm left here with my parents who are angry at him and his friends one day and crying the next."

"Matthias, I'm sorry to hear this. What a shame. I mean, he's my age, that's not an age to die. My condolences. May I come to see you? I'd like to talk to you face to face."