Bohemia Village Voice

2012 The Wheel Turns

Justin was enjoying himself. He’d finally hit the million. Not bad for a twenty-five year old. That he’d had the private education at an appropriate school was irrelevant.
HE had made the million.
That he’d got the contacts, gone to the right university, was irrelevant.
HE had made the million.
That the fluke of his birth in the echelons that were born with confidence, paid for the education that . . . let’s be honest . . . was only good at stoking that confidence, slipped past him faster than the road signs.
Justin worked in the city. One of those that nobody (including Justin) was exactly sure was the job. Justin had a pretty good grasp of it though. He’d been good at poker at university. It wasn’t really all that different. You believe in yourself and all the others are sucked in. And, in Justin’s world, does anybody really exist?
He’d decided to get away for the weekend. His latest squeeze – not too bright (a bit like Justin), but beautifully manicured (a bit like Justin) sat next to him. The Alfa Romeo cruised nicely up the motorway. Daft car really; no internal space, not that easy to get in an out of, but hey ho! It was part of the packaging; soon to be upgraded.
“Congratulations darling,” she purred and smiled. Justin glanced at her briefly; could imagine the pupils transformed into dollar signs.
“It was the rise in metal prices that did it. I could see it coming. Right place, right time,” he said.
“And of course skill,” he added.
“You’re just so clever. Oh I do love you,” and she briefly squeezed his thigh.
His mind was ticking as it always was. If he’d been ten he’d have been labelled attention deficit.
Yes he was enjoying himself. They were headed north to an expensive hotel for a weekend of debauchery. He’d drop her back Sunday night and dump her. He really did need an upgrade.
Then, unexpectedly, the motorway lighting ceased. At the speed he was doing, unfamiliar with the road, and, quite honestly, being not a very good driver, they didn’t stand a chance.
The local paper ran the story. Accident caused by failure of motorway lighting, Reason: the metal cabling had been stolen.
Justin hadn’t seen that coming.