A Vida Barco

[ 12 ]

[12]

I had the lights in my trailer turned off, looking around me. Did I have everything?

I had the plane tickets in my car already.
I had destroyed my laptop so that no one could see what I'd been researching on the internet over the past months.
I was ready. And yet, it felt so strange.
I did everything as usual.
I got my phone, took my keys and locked the door of my trailer.
It was weird to know that I'd never see those things again. Neither the track, neither the trailer. But also the little things. Such as my clothes, except the ones I was wearing

The air was rather cold tonight and
I had a lump in my throat while walking down to the garages.

There was still the light on in a few, so was in mine.
Some mechanics were still tidying up.
"Hey", I spoke up when I had reached them.

They just looked up at me, smiling.
"Hi", one of them replied and I  stepped up closer to him.

"Could you do me a favour?", I asked, biting  my bottom lip.
"Ya. Sure thing", he replied, putting down his tools.

I looked around.
"Can you give this letter to my parents tomorrow?", I asked and held it up.

My mechanic  was confused clearly.
"Why don't you do that yourself?" He asked but took it.
I sighed.
"I had a little argument with them and I...-", I was thinking, "I can't see them right now. I planned on avoiding them tomorrow"

He nodded. "Fine. I'll give them your letter"
I smiled. "Thank you" , I said relieved.

He turned around to work on the computer again, but I pulled him back.

"Hey. Can I trust you there? This is very important", I said, stressing the very.

"Sure, Chase", he said and gave me a confused smile.
"Thank you", I said.

I watched him putting it away in the inside pocket of his jacket that laid on the shelf.

"Goodnight", I said loudly so that all of them could hear me.

I didn't get a reply when I left the garage, walking down to the parking lot.
I reckoned with me to be nervous. But I wasn't.

Only as I got in my car, it really felt like my journey was about to start.
I locked the door and started the engine.
I turned on the radio, trying to forget my thoughts.

My heart sacked down into my pants when I saw a person literally jumping in front of the car, making me slamming the brakes.

"What the fuck, Ryan?" I shouted as I opened the door.
"I need to talk to you!", he said out of breath.
I rolled my eyes.
"Not now", I said, looking at my watch. I really had to get going.

"Fuck!", my friend screamed, causing me to wince.
He slammed his hand on the door of my car.
"It's always not now", he hissed.
"Can we talk tomorrow?" I pledged since I really had to get going.

Ryan nearly seemed to be desperate.
"Tomorrow after the race", he said.
I nodded.
"Okay"

It was silent for a while, him just looking at me and myself, just looking at him, trying to get as much out of this situation as  I could since this would be my last memory of him.

"I have to go", I spoke up, shutting the car of my door.
I hit the gas even before Ryan could say anything.

I calmed down after I had left the track area and was getting closer to town.
I drove across the bridge over White River, before I took a side path and parked my car at the beginning of the forest, down the river.
I got out, took my bag with the ticket and my ID in and shut the car door, locking it and throwing away the keys, right into the river.
I took my phone, weighing it in my hands - I had to get rid of it. I thought about crushing it with a rock - just to be sure - but that wouldn't be realistic. So I just threw it away, right after my keys.

It was a weird feeling. I took a deep breath before I pulled on the hood of my sweatshirt and walked up the pathway to the bridge. I had seen a taxi stand close to the bridge, and I had to hurry since I needed to catch my flight.

As I opened the door of an uber, I pulled my hoodie even further into my face, especially because the driver turned around.

"To the airport", I said shortly, and he nodded.
As less conversation as possible. I didn't dare to look up. I just looked down, praying for this ride to be over soon. That guy shouldn't remember me. However, I didn't want to behave too weird. When he stopped, I quickly looked up, making eye contact just barely.
"46.29", he said and I quickly took my wallet, paying him off.

"Bye", I mumbled as I stepped outside of the car, looking at the airport building.
I felt ridiculous with my sunglasses on, at night and in a building, but just to be sure.

Of course no one was watching me.
But it felt this way.
As if people looked at me and knew what I was doing.
I swallowed when I checked in, and everything worked well of course.

I sat down on one of those chairs, praying for no one recognising me.
And now I was nervous.
Because I didn't want to be caught. Neither by people who watched NASCAR, neither for using a fake ID.
I nervously looked at my watch.

I pulled out my prepaid phone. I had saved Lelani's phone number in there.
That was the only thing I had kept.
That was the first thing in the life of my new me. Her number.

It took me longer than with my smartphone to text her, of course. But at least a little occupation.

'Ill be back in Koh Lipe tomorrow, maybe we can meet soon'

I heard a bell ring, and looked up. It was boarding time. I was one of the first to line up at the queue. I took of my sunglasses and my hoodie when I handed the woman my ID, my heart now beating on a quick pace.

She had an empty look on her face as she handed it back to me and waved me through.
I sighed in relief as I walked through the gate right through the tunnel to the plane.

A million thoughts were on my mind. It was weird. Right now, no one was missing me. And just within a few hours, that would change.

.

I hope you liked it,let me know what you'd change,what you'd like to read next or whatever ❤️