Amputee

Limo

I followed Mr. Verr out of the airport to the curb of the pick up/drop off section. It smelled of gasoline fumes and cigarette butts. The floor was littered with cigarettes, oil slicks, spit, and other objects.

I was expecting Mr. Verr to drive me in, at least, a taxi. But when I rolled my luggage up to the vehicle, a shiny, black limo sparkled in front of me.

I've never seen anything this fancy in person before. I always thought these things happened in movies and celebrities.

I definitely wasn't a celebrity.

"I'll take your bags," Verr said sternly, but not rudely.

I handed him my bags, still staring at the car, dumbfounded. The academy must've spend hundreds, maybe thousands on this car for me. Yet, I couldn't utter one 'thank you.'

"After you," Verr said, holding the back passenger door open.

I slowly crouched down into the expensive car. Inside, black leather lined the inside of the car. A cooler slash coffee table sat in the middle with glowing rainbow lights. It smelled of leather and the candy peppermints inside. 

When I finally inally slid in fully, I took my phone out of my coat pocket and tried to keep busy and quiet. I tried text mum and dad, but the service was too low and resorted to a word puzzle game.

"So how did it happen?" Mr. Verr said through the sliding window while focusing on the road. I completely forgotten that was there.

"Oh," I said shyly, "a tree fell on my leg and it was already too late by the time we got to the hospital."

I tried to make the story short, mostly to not bore him and embarrass myself. I knew he wasn't going to make fun of me, mostly because he works for the academy for disabled dancers.

"That's unfortunate. I can understand that as well," he said, a bit solemnly. 

"How's that?" I asked, curious. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with Mr. Verr.

"I was in a war, a bomb hit and I lost my hand."

I directed my vision to Mr. Verr's hand. A pair of tight, white gloves covered both of his hands.

No wonder I couldn't see it, I thought to myself.

For about twenty minutes, Mr. Verr and I talked about pretty much everything. If it wasn't for the dire situation I was in, I would've stayed longer.

"It was nice talking to you, Miss Steele," he said after handing me my bags, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Me as well," I responded, turning to walk into the academy.