The Golden Gates

4

Highly reccommend to listen to The Neibourhood for this chapter

One week later. May 30. Friday.
I waited so long for the weekend. After a shopping trip that took all morning, there was no strength left at all. I like my new job but it turned out to be harder than I expected. I remember why singing always was my dream. When I go onstage, finish a song or prepare to take a difficult note, I feel truly free. I can literally sense my heart bouncing out of my chest. Is it not happiness? Tired but satisfied I walked home. After sorting out the purchases I lay down with the book on a new double bed. My thoughts did not allow me to concentrate, so after reading 10 pages I was distracted. I can't stop thinking about yesterday. How did he notice that car? Like I wasn't even standing on the driveway but that guy still reacted in time so it didn't hit me. The gaze he gave me. There was something crazy in those pupils. I noticed that when we made an eye contact. I hadn't seen him before. It was one of those meetings with complete strangers that we start to wonder about at first sight, kind of suddenly, before we say a word. He disappeared among the departing guests as quickly as he appeared. We will probably never meet again. In any case, we couldn't find a common language because he is one of them. The phone has interrupted my thoughts. I got up and picked up the phone, not letting go of the book. There was an alarmed, jerking voice:
— Take care of Prince. Please. You can move into my house, I don't care. He has to stay with you — it's hard for Jason to talk. He's stressing me out.
— What happened? — Also I thought who was the Prince.
— There's been an accident. Twin Peaks... Chrismas three point.
— I'm on my way, — I'm not gonna waist my time asking stupid questions.

Blocked, I hope it's the wrong direction. At the same moment an ambulance went that way. I ran after it. My heart stopped for a second. The car with the broken windshield is in the middle of the road, there's a lot of shrapnel around it. I've never run as fast. Jason is talking to the doctor. Seeing that he was fine made a relief ran through me. I slowed down.

— Oh God, — I said taking deep breaths when I reached them.

— You can call me just Jay, — he always finds a way to make a joke. If we weren't in the ambulance I'd nudged him.

— Are you okay?

 — Got off with bruises, bodged a bullet.

— Thanks heaven, — I exhailed with ease, — You're alive.

—  As you can see,  — Jay was probably amused by the way I got worried.

— You scared me to death, — I didn't even have time to think, the brain went into emergency mode — bad habit.

— Sorry for that. You were the first person I thought of when I almost got killed. And I'm still the one that almost got smeared on the road. 

— Sorry, I'm not angry, but why me? — I was confused. He scratched the back of his head. 

— Like I said, I'd like the Prince to live with you. Besides, I remember that you have a problem with rent... You know, I was just shocked, let's forget about it, — I'm not sure I can ever do what he asked.

— Okay... By the way, which Prince was supposed to live with me?

— My doberman. I bet you'd like each other, — wow, Jason trusts me so much.

— Will you introduce us one day?
— No problem, — He finally got his signature smile on his face.
— Where's your car? — All I saw was a dead BMW. Actually, I have a lot of questions.
— Standing behind the ambulance, — said Jasen, pointing his thumb behind his back. The black Porsche was standing with a rammed bumper. There's no way it could be saved.
— Hell, I'm sorry, — I put my hands in my back pockets with a little frown on my eyebrows.
— It was old anyway. The workers are coming, I have to sign some papers.
— Let's go for a walk, since we have time, — I won't leave him, not now. Nodding, Jasen went towards the bumpers.
— Are you going to tell me what happened? — I asked on the way.
— Some donkey flew into me at the bend. He was driving over a hundred and I didn't have time to react. The car flew up after the blow and rolled over. They took him to the emergency room.
— What the hell was he thinking? — We stepped over the fence.
— It was an accident. The main thing is to learn from mistakes and all that stuff, — Jasen protects him.
— Are you for real? You were lucky this time but it's far from the fact that in another case, God forbid, you get off as easily, — perhaps he's not over the shock yet.
— It makes no sense to feel fear of the inevitable. Although it's natural for people.
— Everyone is afraid of death because no one is safe from it.
— Not everyone chooses to follow the rules, you know. Man, we all live with the realization that life can end at any moment. There are people who like risk, danger, speed, — I wonder how confident Jay justifies stupidity.
— That guy almost ruined your life and your loved ones' lives, — Doesn't he know how it could have ended.
— I don't have anyone. My parents died when I wasn't even going to school, — Jason turned towards the majestic city.
— I'm sorry.
It was quiet. My eyes were watching the night sky.