Last Night

Driving through blinding rain, she gets mesmerized by the incessant drops falling on the windscreen. Splatter. Splatter. Splatter. Swishh! ‘Get off, you scoundrels’ the wipers seem to be saying. But the drops are defiant. The high beam of the truck opposite, shines on the persistent splattering drops. Pure liquid gold. Falling. Scattering. Disappearing.

Hypnotised.

She barely hears the loud screech. The rain has forced her to keep the windows up. The audio system plays ‘Drops of Jupiter’ loud enough to shut the world out. Suddenly she sees the teary red tail light of the truck. No time for a prayer. She holds the wheel tight. Brakes hard to avoid a head on. The car swerves madly. The rubber slips on the sheet of water and finally comes to a screeching halt blocking the cars on the next lane. The drivers honk with alarm. She looks up apologetically. Her heart beating fast. This was close. Would have been fatal if the others were not alert. She thinks of the child waiting for her at home. She promises to be careful.