RINGS OF STRING

The phone at the reception desk rang irritably and all the clients in the room looked at the unconcerned secretary with their eyes ushering some form of communication- pick up the phone! Tina chewed her gum in ease with her lower lip making side movements with every chew. Deeply set red lipstick painted her lips with the lashes having a black shade. Her light skinned complexion, round, doll shaped face and a pair of dimples made her appear slightly younger defying her age. Most people thought of her as pretty but highly flagrant and full of uppity. After six rings she picked up the phone.

“Hallo,” she said obnoxiously. “Is this Easy Antidote Consultancy?” a deep crying voice came from the other side. “Yes it is how may  I …” “Tell James mum is dying and is in Aga khan hospital,” the voice cut her short and then hung up. She lowered the phone instantly and looked at the shining brown mahogany door with a tag DR. JAMES NSATO. Hastily she closed the eve magazine and manically headed towards the office.

James grew old behind the wheel, chest heavy, eyes red and wet with a continuous stream of tears trying to balk from their cascade. His hands shook on the steering wheel. He thanked God there was no traffic and prayed that the life of the woman who stood by his side all these years would be spared by however took lives. He gazed at the speedometer, 80km/hr. He wished the car could fly. 

His eyes landed back on the road and he immediately went for the brakes which left his entire torso jetting forward and hitting the steering wheel. A piercing pain ran through his temple and this made him stay motionless for a few seconds. He raised it; now heavy and loaded with stinging pain. A man stood in front of the vehicle and shot insults at him while aiding his partner- a young woman who lay flat on the tarmac road. His heart was now hot and palpitated even faster numerous drops of cold sweat quickly formed on his forehead and cooled the pain impacted earlier. “Have I killed her?” a shaken girlish voice trembled within him. Outside the car a crowd was already in formation, motioning towards the victims and ready to deal with this careless driver. He quickly saw the girl rise up and dusting herself, shouting at him and making their way toward the vehicle. She was unharmed; maybe shocked and jumped for her life. He remembered his days in the university and how they dealt with careless drivers who accidentally hit student or pedestrians.  He quickly made a sharp right turn and saved himself and his car; knowing his fate if he stayed an extra second.