Robert

The red Porsche turned out to be quite an ass. It passed Robert easily on the right, and confidently established itself straight in front of Robert’s car, its rear radiating arrogance and disdain. Then in an obvious attempt to further demonstrate its superiority the car blasted away. Robert smiled. That was exactly what he needed after this long day.

Thrum-thuri-thram-thiri … Thrum-thiri-thram-thiri … Rrrahh … rrrahh … The loud vibrant music pulsated in the car, filling the space with its rigid sound. Robert turned the volume up to the maximum. Real speed calls for a real accompaniment. A brief glance to the right … All clean, no cops around. The anti-radar has been silent too. Not that it really matters though … Thrum-thiri-thram-thiri … Rrrahh … rrrahh … Robert bent forward slightly, feeling the rigid rhythm penetrating every cell of his body. Then he slowly floored the gas pedal. Somewhere inside the car the hungry engine roared up obediently, increasing the mad rotation of its parts.

A silver ancient chariot that could have made a great addition to car museum closed up on the right and immediately disappeared behind. Robert didn’t catch the driver’s face, but had no doubts about the kind of language the chariot’s owner used to express his feelings about blazing objects on highway. On the left a monstrous dirty trailer emerged and in a few seconds disappeared along with its deafening rattle and stinky exhaust. Rrrahh … rrrahh …

Now the Porsche was merely a few yards away. Robert almost unnoticeably turned the wheel to the left and a moment later was riding next to the joyfully cruising Porsche. Honking wasn’t necessary—the driver looked around on his own. For a second or two Robert looked straight into his eyes, having established that weird high-velocity momentary eye contact that highways had introduced to humankind. It wouldn’t have been fun had this been a teenager who just got his license. But this particular specimen was definitely used to being the King of the Road. So he had it coming …

Smiling in the utmost charming way Robert extended his right arm and presented a well-known gesture to the stunned specimen. The specimen’s astonishment was clearly amplified by the view of Robert’s left hand, which was busy performing the same action. Then, without returning his hands to the steering wheel and relying only on his left knee to hold it, Robert pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor. The red hand of the tachometer jumped up in indignation, the motor’s roar outvoiced the pulsating sound of music and the Porsche carrying its appalled driver was left behind.

Robert leaned back. The straight road ahead pointed toward the horizon like a sharp arrow. He touched the smooth knob. It was time to turn the volume down. Rrrahh … rrrahh … Good album. A precise match for this kind of road entertainment.

One day it’d be nice to trade a career in management for professional racing. There’s nothing better than this feeling of an unstoppable blaze, of the blasting speed that, if not handled right, would smash you in a split second. Wrong, there’s one thing that comes close. Very close actually. Rock climbing. That trip last summer … Monstrous brownish red rocks piled up in eternal chaos under the cloudless shrill eye-hurting blue sky. Naked interweaving roots of writhing trees drilling the rocks in an endless attempt to penetrate deeper. And the crumbling stone underneath his right foot. That was some lo-ong fall …

Later, Sandra told him that this time she had been sure he wouldn’t make it. The luck had to stop somewhere. But it didn’t stop on that day. And Sandra, Sandra of steel, Sandra “The Cat” famous across three continents for her bitter tongue and unbreakable strength, hung on him and cried like a schoolgirl when he finally returned, his face a bloody mask and his left arm motionless.

Getting this spice of life every day surely would feel different. You can’t get this blood-boiling feeling at work. But the pay is fair. And it isn’t boring. You can live with that level of boredom knowing that it pays for your mortgage, equipment, and trips around the world. Sometimes you even get a company-sponsored trip. Like the one that happens next week. A workshop of mystery…

“Robert, I’d like to emphasize again how highly I think of you. You’re one of the strongest managers of your level across the entire division, and you have such a great potential. This training gives you an excellent opportunity to advance your skills. And you have no idea who’s taken a direct interest in sending you over there.”

Say, I do have an idea. Not that I really care though. Nevertheless, this trip sounds more exciting than another week at work. He said that it was somewhere up in the mountains. I wonder if they’ve got any good climbing spots out there …