Back to Black

Back to the Future

The room swayed. The room fell out of focus, becoming a sensory garden of colourful lights, tickling glasses, people talking and music fading into the background. I vaguely sensed two people sit on either side of me, but paid them no notice.

My head swam. I felt like I was back in Nathan's swimming pool, where everything dropped away and you just floated out of reach from the world. 

*Clink clink clink... 

The sharp tinkling sound of a glass being tapped for attention somehow acted as a lifeguard pulling me out of the deep-end and brought me back into the present. I blinked hard and felt tears fall down my face. 

I was crying? Why was I crying? 

Dipping my head to wipe the tears away, I used the time to recover myself and steal a glance at the people next to me. Looking to my left, I found a middle aged man with brown hair and a mole on his chin staring ahead, his hand holding tightly to the wine glass stem, so hard it could break. A woman to the left of him seemed to be talking animatedly to him, despite this. 

I took a sip of the water Mr Blackbourne had poured for me, using the opportunity to steal a look to my right. As an introvert, I had perfected the art of checking my surroundings without appearing actually interested in them. I didn't want to attract attention. 

Instead of a stranger on my right, I met worrying eyes. Gabriel, his head tilted down to meet my gaze, somehow managed to lift my head up and ask me if I was alright, with but a look. His concern rallied me and reminded me of the bigger picture. I softly nodded and gave a small smile. 

The sound of a woman's voice on a microphone grabbed our attention, towards the white piano at the front of the tables, covered in an ornate red rose arrangement that draped the instrument as a table runner. 

"I would like to thank everyone for coming tonight to our loving sons 17th Birthday Party, and hope everyone is enjoying themselves..."

For the first time, I noted the perfume of roses in the room. Mr Blackbourne loved roses.

"appreciate everyone's gift's and sentiments..."

The picture of Mr Blackbourne smiling at me while we danced fleeted across my brain.

"is time for our gift to Victor! Victor dear would you come here please?"

My attention arrested, I watched Victor approach his mother. His movements were comfortable and graceful, yet his face alien to me, like someone had taken a photo of the fakest smile and 3D printed it to fit Victor's face. The man in the brown suit next to me chuffed to himself and I couldn't help turn quickly to give him a disapproving frown, before turning back to see the crowd parting on the other side of the room. 

I craned my neck upwards, straining to see what they were moving for while still remaining in my seat to no avail due to the similar efforts of people in front of us. 

A bright red car with matt black racing stripes pulled into the room at a diagonal, effectively pushing everyone standing back away from the front of the room. As it stopped, the drivers side door FLOATED upwards like something out of Back to The Future, which we had on VHS when I was eight. Unfortunately instead of Doc and Marty, Victors father emerged, his form appearing overly large and bulky as he awkwardly got out, leaving the door open. Or up. 

As Victor was handed the keys and roughly manhandled by his father into a stiff embrace, I noticed him whisper something to Victor quickly, a coarse expression evident from his side profile and squeeze Victors shoulder HARD.

"Did you see that???!" I leaned over to Gabriel to whisper. Gabriel took my hand and squeezed it softly while giving me a steeled look. 

"Yes."  We glanced back....

Victor had pulled away from his father so we could see him again, and shook his hand before turning to his mother to hug her. While the embrace wasn't as brutal as his fathers had been, it appeared unpracticed and uncomfortable, Victor towering above her. He was so tall!!!

"Thank you mother, and thank you father for such a beautiful gift", Victor spoke into the microphone while nodding towards his parents. I think that was the first time I had heard Victor actually refer to his parents as something familial rather than by their first names....

"And thank you everyone for coming! Neighbours, friends, family..." ,

 Victor paused before finding my face in the crowd, "Loved ones...." My eyebrows rose as his address. Was that meant for me???

 "I appreciate you all coming tonight to celebrate my birthday! Especially as I have been gifted this beautiful vehicle."  Victor smiled over the crowd which appeared pink in the lighting.

I wondered at Victors change of mind from earlier. He had seemed so against it before and had made a complete U-turn. 

"It is unbelievably generous. So generous in fact, that it cannot and should not be confined to one man alone to enjoy."  I felt the man in the brown suit shift forward.

"So while I have your attention, I would like to use this opportunity to bestow some generosity myself! As you all know, especially those I have spoken with tonight, the Charity work of the Allbright Academy is very dear to my heart, as it helps those less fortunate than ourselves build better lives, and generates opportunities some in the poorer communities could only dream of.

Therefore, I intend to donate this vehicle to the Allbright Academy as a fundraiser; meaning that anyone can loan this vehicle for a sum, of which proceeds will go towards the charity, minus upkeep costs. If anyone here would like to drive this beautiful vehicle, or make a donation themselves, please do!!! It all goes towards a good cause! Any amount can make a difference." 

Victor smiled and made a slight bow. 

"Thank you"