CHAMPAGNE - Cobblestone

"This is not going to be easy," I think, glancing at the beamer on my right.
"He's gotta have at least 60Hp on my 206. I hope he is counting on that."
He is probably around my age, 19 or 20. He is not "a driver", he is driving for himself.
One of those kids. Parents getting rich over night; kid gets the newest, baddest beamer or benz. Thrill hunting.
Big ass gold neclace overlays the front of a black tshirt. Black hair, full of gell, Italian mafia style.
"Good thing he is a showoff," I think while he is checking my ride.
"Nice wheels. Do they come in a regular size too?"
"Nope this is the only size for this baby. Think of it as the car for people with a reversed Napolean complex."
"What?..."
"Napoleon the dude, not the brandy. Short guy, big triangular hat. He comes around pretty often."
"Never met the guy. Tell him I said 'Hi'."
"You bet...'What an idiot,' " I think.
A gorgeous brunette is leaning by his rolled down window.
"One for the road, honey?"
They kiss while he is grabbing her ass. Great ass I might add. For some reason I think, "Short skirt, long jacket."
She turns around, smiles at me and whispers, "Good luck."
She leaves.
"Trying to keep her warm, if you know what I mean." he says.
"Yep. Nice body kit on that one."
He winks.
"You have a long way ahead to keep that one warm dude," I think while reving the engine.

And it's ON. He takes the lead, and I intend to let him have it for a while. The dimmed lights in the city will get my eyes tired fast. And it's a 20 minute race.
Sometime last week I lost my glasses.
I don't have my new pair yet.
I am going to stay on his tail for a while.
It'll going to help my eyes relax a little bit.
He might also get a little nervous; that would work just fine for me.
It rained a little bit last night. That changed my mood to 'whatever.' A little bit of Iron Maiden, Fear of the Dark, keeps me high. They always make me feel invincible for some reason.
What the hell am I talking about...
As we aproach Union's Plaza, traffic gets kinda heavy. We take a 90 degree turn to the right heading towards University Plaza. We run two red lights.
"Ohhh crap," I think noticing three idiots cruising at the same speed on two lanes, 5 under the speed limit. They are mooning each other. Rather brilliant.
The beamer swerves left and he passes them dodging the oncomming traffic in the last second.
"Great he now has 20 secs on me," I think trying to spot where the next breach is in the oncomming traffic.
I catch up with him in Romana's Plaza. Faster then expected. He must have done something stupid.

Angela, breath taking Angela. Petite, curly hair, green eyes. The most incredible smile. She models for Estee Lauder. She is studying Economics.
I met her through Geanina, a highscool mate. I didn't like Angela too much at first, but somehow, things changed after a few dates. Maybe the fact that all my friends kept telling me how gorgeous she is kinda helped the matter.
This would be my first chance to take her out to a fancy place. I also have a planned ski trip to Sinaia this weekend.

All I need to do is win this race and get my 500.
The rest of 1500 goes to the car owner. Titi. Good guy. Kinda feisty. He can't race any more, as he gets drunk all the time. They say he used to be "the shit," no more than two years ago. Then his lady dumped him and ran to Italy with some filfy rich dude she met online. Which makes me wonder, what kind of rich dude is waisting his time in chat rooms... Doesn't make too much sense.
I enter the "Let's win this shit" mode. I am getting close but not close enough.
"I am gonna do it at the cobblestone roundabout". It rained a little bit last night...
There is something about that roundabout when the cobblestne is a little bit wet. Only there, only then, only in a 206, I can do a power slide all around it. That usually saves me 4-5 seconds, more then I need to take him, even if he is doing no mistakes.


"Good race dude" he says. "Nice trick on that round-about. You should teach me sometime."
"Sure thing mate. You did well. I just got lucky."
Titi is checking the car for "deductibles".
"No scratches," he says. "Good job."
He hands me my 500.
I get out of the back of the InterTrans rig truck acting as a moving safehouse for Titi's cars.
As I leave, I hear him saying again: "You really should get that driver's license man. Think about minimizing the riscs."
Yep, I should. Not even that I am racing, but I don't even have a license. But then again, I don't have a car so, who cares, who gives.
I reach hotel Sofitel after a 10 minute walk. It was a nice walk. The sky cleared and I can say it's a beautiful Friday night. I love April. I can smell a cherry tree in bloom. I can smell it, but I can't see it. 'Like a fart' I think. Why do I always have to ruin my good moments with this kind of jokes, I don't know.
I jump in the cab.
"What's it gonna be tonight? The hunting grounds?"
"Nah, I don't feel like hunting tonight. Take me to 'Hard Rock Cafe'. I just need a beer."
"Ahh, see you got yourself a keeper in the past month. Congrats..."
"Heh, who the fuck knows, gonna see about it. Let there be light."
"Alright, alright, we're going. You kids, always in a hurry to get somewhere. You should learn to enjoy the ride and stop obsessing about the destination."
"I will remember that. Sounds like a theory that needs testing in the bedroom."
"Damn, Can I ever say something without you twisting it that way? Incorrigible..."
"What do you want,? - I was raised by wolfs and educated by Freud."

Career Fair

Translates to "Back in 5 minutes".

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” my mom asks turning her head. Still want to be a cosmonaut?”
I am a four year old boy and I have a dream. It used to be flying to space, but now I know better.
“I want to be Ceausescu,” I say, anticipating the surprise that my “career change” is going to cause.
“What?”
“Ceausescu,” I proudly repeat.
Mum and dad start laughing really hard. They can’t stop. I don’t recall seeing them laughing in sync for such a prolonged period of time.
“Why are you laughing at me?” I shout in frustration. That definitely was not the reaction I was hoping for.

Living and growing in a communist country.
My first career disappointment…
I learned that day that “Dictator” or “Tyrant” is not a job you apply for.
I have also learned that “Ceausescu” is not a career choice.

I was four and I realized that being “The MAN” is NOT EXACTLY A JOB.

Starchcorn - Sunrise

Five years old or so. Been in line for more than one hour already. Doesn't seem to get any shorter.
A 50 ROL bill in my right hand. A few gypses trying to cut the line. This never gets old. People get angry.
A gypsy threatens to hit an old guy with the baby she was holding. Sounds so ridiculous.
Problem is I have seen them do it. In line to buy starchcorn.
More than one hour and a half now. Trying to put my 50 ROL bill in my pocket. The bill is in my hand no more.
Panic. I start looking on the ground. Panic gone."There it is". I reach and grab the green bill.
Three hours later I reach the end of the line. Grab the starchcron and the change. I head home.
"Here's the corn. Here' the change."
"It was a long line, wasn't it?"
"Yes it was, mum. But I got it. A few gypses tried to cut in. There was a fight."
"That's all the change?"
"Yes."
"That's the change for a 25. Where is the rest?"
"I don't know."
"No really what happened? What have you done with the rest?"
"I don't know. I lost the bill and then I found it"
Dad jumps in:
"You lost a 50 and you found a 25?!"
"I don't know. I guess...?"
"Do we look stupid to you?"
"I didn't say it..."
"Watch it young man. Stop lying. Tell us what you did."
"But I don't know what happened. I am not lying!" tears start pouring.
"You are grounded until you tell us what you did. No further discussion," dad said in his scary low toned voice.
Few hours later I "confess":
"Ok, I gave the rest to Mario."
"Why?"
"He said he is going to get me those collectable stamps that I want."
"That jerk hussled you. You should have said that in the begining. There is no need to lie when you do something stupid."

I wasn't lying. I had no clue what happened. I really lost a 50 and found a 25. My first lesson -
People are likely to believe a convenient lie, something that happened before, or something that happened to someone else. They don't care about a truth they never experienced.
I was five or so.