All of a sudden I came to the town’s main shopping street, it was bustling with people of all sizes and shapes. By now the weather had begun to improve, and as a result people had also begun to close their colourful umbrellas. I was astonished at how many people there were; I guess I had made a wrong impression on the town’s initial size.
I decided to ask a nearby person for directions. I soon saw an old man with white hair, wearing a long overall navy-blue coat. He held an umbrella in one hand and had his other hand in his pocket.
“Excuse me sir, could you please tell me where this address is?” I asked politely, handing him the sheet of paper.
“Well… oh yes I know where this is” he replied. He had a coarse voice and had a smile that reached from one end of his face to the other. He seemed like a well-educated man since he spoke in a genuine, polite tone.
“Go straight down until you get to the second traffic lights, take a right, continue past the first roundabout, and then take the first left.” He continued in his detailed but well thought out explanation. I assumed that he must have lived here for quite some time, since he knew exactly where it was and didn’t even have to pause to think about it.
“Thanks a lot for your help”. I replied.
“No problem” He replied back.
I soon passed the roundabout and began to search for the left turn I had to make. I immediately saw the left turn; the corner house on that road was what actually caught my initial attention. It was a sensational two-floor bungalow that had a magnificent marble fountain outside. There were two very expensive cars outside as well. But the creativity on the house’s design was stunning. A graceful cream exterior covered it with huge rectangular windows on each side beside the mahogany door. It had an elegant balcony that came out from the roof and on the corner was a gorgeous girl talking on a mobile whilst staring at the twinkling stars in the sky. She was dressed in black clothes and as I could see had brown hair up to her shoulders.
As I drove by she caught a glimpse of me and for that dramatic split second, we both made eye contact. An electrifying sensation immediately raced through me. It was as though a powerful magnet was attracting me to turn the car around and speak to her, but no, I couldn’t, I had a party to get to.
“Maybe on the way back?” I asked myself quietly.
I soon came to a house identical in size to the one on the corner. It was detached with a lawn surrounding it. The drive at the front had many cars parked in it, with people holding glasses and laughing with each other. The huge rectangular widows were wide open, and the sound of music vibrated through the air. The balcony at the top was also crowded with young people, I couldn’t recognise any of them.
“This must be the place,” I muttered to myself. “Seems like a great party, but the main star is still missing!”
I found an opening in the drive outside his house, there were five cars outside but I was sure there was space for one more. I couldn’t believe that his drive-in outside was that big.
“He must be doing alright!” I joked to myself.
Everyone outside started staring at my car when it came in. They were not stares of jealously, since every other car out there was as good as mine, but rather stares of curiosity. I turned off the gleaming headlights and opened the door of my car. I stepped outside and with a press of a button, locked my car. Its ‘beeping’ noises were drained by the loud music, I could only see my cars light flash, a clear sign that it was locked and immobilised.
There were roughly ten people outside, most of them were stunning girls, and the rest were men with ages around my age. I felt embarrassed, as I did not know one of them, and their enquiring stares and the drumming of the music was somewhat suffocating me.
Summoning up my confidence, I walked towards the elegant front door, which obviously was wide open. I received pleasant smiles from some of the girls, and I replied by smiling back to them. They were all dressed in smart casual clothes. They obviously all knew each other and so this made me feel even more like an outsider who was stepping into restricted territory.
They were however all mixes of different races and colours; some were English whilst some were Asian etc…
As I got closer to the door I noticed one girl who was slightly shorter than me, and had fair skin. Her light brown hair and her hazel eyes shone in the flashlight situated above the door. I couldn’t help looking at her, as she was absolutely dazzling. Her smile however was what initially caught my eye; it was worth a million dollars.
“Your not from around here are you?” she asked with a natural tone whilst speaking in a voice as smooth as silk.
“No, I’m from London. I’m an old friend of Imran, you know, the organiser of this party?” I replied back, in the most politest tone that I could produce.
“Oh, so you must be Omar!” She replied astonishingly.
How does she know my name, I thought to myself, and who is she? I tried to recognise her… maybe I’ve known her in the past? Questions began to explode in my head faster than I could answer them.
“I’m Sarah his girlfriend. He told me that his old friend from college is coming, he’s told me a lot about you… I’ve been longing to meet you.” She continued, with a very exquisite tone in her soft voice.
Imran’s girlfriend? That lucky idiot, how did he pull it off? I just couldn’t believe it. His girlfriend was charming and sensational. I guess now I knew why Imran was very happy to live in this secluded but peaceful town. Its inhabitants were both charming and friendly, and if you had friends has nice Sarah, than why would you want to move to a crowded place like London?
“Well… thanks Sarah, nice to meet you too. I guess Imran is a very lucky guy to have a girlfriend as stunning as you.” I replied.
I deliberately made sure that I complimented her in a friendly, casual way, whilst making sure that I gave a good first impression of myself to both her and her friends nearby.
She laughed and gave one of her dazzling smiles.
“Thanks Omar!” She remarked back. “Shall I call Imran for you? I’m sure he’s probably going crazy inside!”
“Yeah Please do.”
Even though it was getting dark and the clouds were beginning to fade away, her eyes continued to shimmer in the flashlight, just like the brightest stars in the night sky. From just talking with her for a minute, it felt as though I knew her for a long time. She seemed like a very cool, open-minded girl who was very confident and lively.
I followed her through the crowded passageway, past numerous girls who gave me welcoming smiles. Thank god! She led me through a large room filled with laughter and music. It was crowded; I couldn’t believe how many people there were. The furniture was put aside so that couples could dance together in the middle, whilst the rest were hanging about on the sides. There was a smoke machine giving out layers of grey smoke so thick that you could cut it with a knife (just like you see on ‘stages’). There was a ‘sphere type’ machine on the other side that spun on all four axes. It had multi-coloured lights all around it. I guess that was were all the lights were coming from, just like the ones in clubs.
I continued to receive enquiring looks from countless people when all of a sudden I got a tap on my shoulder. I spun round only to see Imran! He was laughing and clearly was glad to see me.
“I thought you weren’t coming! What took you so long?” He asked. He also was dressed very casually. He was roughly about my height and had brown eyes but unlike me had black hair.
“How can I miss a party like this?” I screamed back, the music was so loud that it felt as though my ears were about to fall out.
Sarah was next to him; they made a great couple, one of the best I had seen for a long time. They were like movie stars who had not yet been discovered. Imran always had surprises up his sleeve, and Sarah was his biggest one ever.
But seeing them together reminded me of that mysterious girl I saw earlier on. The girl who was standing on the balcony of the extravagant corner house I had driven past earlier. So far I had seen countless girls, but none has intriguing as the mysterious one on the balcony.
After a long interesting chat with Imran and Sarah, Imran then escorted me around to meet several other girls. The repeated process of being introduced time and time again became exhausting!
Eventually after becoming familiar with several new friends, I dispersed into the crowd and started enjoying myself, dancing and joking with new girls. I blended in very well but still after and hour of socialising the shadowy figure of that girl began to haunt me again. I just had to talk to her!
I soon noticed that alcohol was being served; I had never drunk alcohol in my life and I did not intend to start now. Many of the girls that were with me kept offering me a drink but I kept refusing, I just couldn’t, I had a long journey ahead of me, and I clearly knew the affects of drinking alcohol and then driving. Most people were drinking it as though it was water; it had no affect on them…yet.
The noisy atmosphere was beginning to get to me and so I decided to stand outside and take some fresh air. The noise was deafening and I’m sure annoyed neighbours must have sent complaints to the police!
I stared down the street, towards that corner house, wishing that she would come to the party… Until all of a sudden I saw a silhouette form out of the darkness around. Some one was walking towards me, I could tell it was a girl from the figure, but who was it really? The shadowy image became clearer and clearer when abruptly it hit me. It was she, the mysterious, but beautiful girl.
I pinched myself, nope, I wasn’t dreaming.
She approached me; my heart began to pound louder than the music around me. My blood was rushing through every vein in my body. I could feel myself blushing and lost for words.
“Hi” Her voice was as soft as Sarah’s, but it sunk in deeper and further than any word I ever heard.
“Hi” I stammered back, I found it difficult to say even one word.
“I’m new to this neighbourhood and I was just wondering where all this music was coming from?” She continued, I could see that she was interested in coming to the party, this was my chance.
“I’m also not from here, I was invited by the organiser of this party. He was an old friend who I met again recently.” She listened attentively, with a smile that could knock someone of there feet. “Would you like to come in? I mean I don’t see no reason why you cant.”
“Well…I guess I could, thanks.” Her emerald green eyes left fingerprints in my heart. It was as though the world stopped around me, I couldn’t even hear the music now, only her subtle voice.
After introducing ourselves we both began to dance together, I didn’t care about no one else; she was like a diamond in the rough.
We continued our dance until we both felt tired and sat down on the green leather sofas. Everyone eyes fell on her, even Imran’s, and I could see that Sarah was beginning to notice that. I guess I was the luckiest man in the world at that time. I had a princess who deserved to be a queen.
After a few hours and of course after becoming real close, I forgot about my journey ahead and with the persuasion of my new friends, decided to take a drink. The cold drink rushed through my heated body. It felt as though I jumped in a cool swimming pool in the middle of the Sahara desert.
Time passed by quicker than I could keep track of it and thanks to the alcohol I was also beginning to feel drowsy and the only thing in my mind was Alicia. That was her name.
I soon noticed how late it had got and so therefore decided it was time to leave. After taking everyone’s number and saying goodbye to them all (especially Imran and Sarah), I decided to first drop her home and then be on my way.
Her house was only down the road but I wished it were much further away, so that I could spend some more time with her…
…After finally saying goodbye and promising to meet again, I pressed the accelerator down hard and was at long last on my way back home.
It was past midnight, and I knew that I had to go work tomorrow, so without thinking about the dangers, I increased the speed of my car. I noticed I wasn’t feeling too well; my mouth was dry, and my pulse high.
As I approached the lights of central London, only beginning to feel continuous throbs in my head and my pulse increasing even further. The lights all around me began to get blurry and I felt my vision deteriorate. I was beginning to lose track of reality and I felt a strange unusual sensation. It was something that words cannot describe.
It made me feel numb all over and unable to coordinate any movements properly, I even had trouble changing to the right gears. My cars power steering also surprisingly began hard to turn. My hands kept slipping since they were wet and all clammy.
I felt as though my environment was suffocating me, my world sinking into my head and spinning around faster than a tornado.
The lights flickered all around me, confusing me until all I could see was perplexing lights rushing past me. I just had to get a grip, and I knew it.
Then it hit me, the alcohol…I took too much of it. Its affects, my condition, the exhaustion from dancing, the thick atmosphere, it was all working against me. Creeping over me and taking advantage over my weakness…I couldn’t take it much more. I opened the windows and took fresh deep breaths. I closed my eyes to get hold of myself…But then quickly opened them, someone was horning but from where? I couldn’t focus; I passed a red light and then saw a vague image of a black car approaching from the right side. I panicked.
I pressed hard on the brake…to late. Bang! We collided…
Both our cars spun out of control. I felt my body fall to one side, the pain began to grip hold of me, and then silence…
Sometime later I began to hear faint indefinable sounds; I wasn’t sure what they were at first but slowly, they became apparent. I found it difficult to open my eyes; they felt as though someone had taped them down.
Abruptly, I began to hear my name. Omar…Omar…Omar, someone was repeating it. I could tell it was a woman but who could it really be. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I tried vigorously to open my eyes. Bit-by-bit they began to open. Everything around me was blurry, as though I was covered by a thick dense fog.
I felt someone’s soft warm hand touch my icy arm; it had to be my mum. Her vibrant and warm body heat raced across my body. My vision slowly became sharper and crystal-clear…I was in hospital.
I had an oxygen mask over my mouth and was connected to several machines. Each of them monitored me for signs of improvement.
A continuous ‘beeping’ noise was coming from my left side. It was a machine monitoring my fast, racy pulse. I felt pain all over; it felt as though I had been clamped throughout my body.
My mum and dad were both next to me, on either side. My mum was holding a tissue; I could see that she had been crying. There was a doctor in front of the bed, he was speaking to my parents, but I couldn’t understand his fuzzy unclear words.
Smiles began to sweep across the room, everyone’s face lit up in a warm, radiant glow.
“How you feeling son?” my dad asked, I could see the how relieved he was to see me awake. The hours I had been unconscious must have been a nightmare for them.
I had emotionally tortured them. Simply because I had drunk alcohol before driving; I knew the risks, but still I allowed myself to be pressurised into making a decision; and it was thanks to this decision that I agonized the feelings of people that truly loved me. I felt ashamed, but there was nothing I could do… I could only try my best to fully recover and bring back the beaming and ecstatic smiles of my family and close friends.
