As it’s Halloween
Here’s a story I wrote years ago for the girlsf1 forum. It’s a mixture of Mills and Boon meets Poltergeist meets a creative writing class for 7 year olds.
Into the first corner, tight right tight tight turn, hold the back end, up the hill go go go go faster faster. Alex Mass gunned the throttle on his Ferrari as he crested the top of Beau Rivage at Monaco. Left through Massanet deep into the corner, brake slightly, sweep around casino, brake hard, hard right hug the barriers and ACCELERATE. Duck to the right to avoid the bump on the ground, and prepare for the hard braking into Mirabeau.
“35.2” flashed on his steering wheel as he marked the spot. This was his 3rd qualifying run, and everything was coming together.
Break HARD, turn into Mirabeau, come on car, turn. Blip the throttle, then brake hard again for Grand Hotel Harpin. Slowing to only 40 miles per hour, Mass turned hard left to take what seemed like an eternity to round the hairpin. Blip the throttle again, then right again to sweep into the tunnel
“55.6” yes!
He gunned the throttle for one of the most exhilarating sections on the formula 1 calendar, the tunnel. “WHAT THE HELL!!!!” shouted Mass into his helmet, as he swerved to avoid the car that had appeared alongside him. The driver swept around the outside of Mass, and weaved dangerously as if he meant to drive directly into his path.
“YOU STUPID ****!” – Mass raged. He was too scared by his near miss with disaster to do more than scream impotently into his helmet.
“What???” – he looked at the car that had taken up position in front of him. He was staring down the back of a Formula 1 Mercedes from the 1930s as he followed it through the swimming pool complex.
He thumbed the microphone button on his helmet to talk to his team boss on the pitwall “Bobby, bobby, they have to get this nut off the track!”
“Eh, what Alex?”
“This nutter in the old car nearly killed me – they have to get him off the track”. And throw him in jail once they catch him he thought. He realised he was still shaking from the near miss.
“Alex, we……what old car?”
“The guy in front of me! In the 1930s Merc!”
There was silence.
The two cars slowed down as they entered La Rascasse. Alex looked closely at the car – great car, but damnit he nearly killed me. It looked like an immaculately kept 1930s Merc, absolutely spotless.
He followed the car into the Anthony Noghès right hander and into the pit straight.
He thought about whether he should pass him or not – no, obviously a nutter, best to just stay out of his way, the qualifying will surely be cancelled.
“Alex” came Bobby on the radio “Alex, why are you slowing down?”
“I’m trying to stay out of the way of this guy!”
“Alex, what guy? Are you alright. We see ….…. uy”
“Say again”
“You’re the only car on the track Alex, what are you on about??”
What!? But ….. Alex was lost.Right, this is stupid. He gunned the throttle and streamlined up behind the Mercedes. He pulled alongside going past the pit box and looked at the driver. Full 1930s racing gear too, complete with scarf, but with goggles over the neck and not covering the face. The driver turned to look at him.
Alex froze. Oh my god. The driver had a face that looked completely burned and blackened, and stared at Alex through the blackest, most horrific eyes. He shuddered as he felt a cold wave of fear run through him. The face started to grin, and Alex was transfixed staring at him, the grin looking like a mark of triumph – why??
BRAKE!!! Alex looked up in time just to see Saint Dévote approach. He stood on the brakes, and missed the corner completely, sliding headfirst into the barrier at the end of the run off area. Thankfully the blow was light, but the front wing of the car and one wheel were damaged.
Alex looked around for the Mercedes. It was nowhere to be seen, neither was its driver.
Bobby came over the radio “You’re ok I hope. Get back here, you have some explaining to do”.
Alex felt himself shiver again. He had experienced something he couldn’t even describe, but could feel. It was cold, it felt, it felt like ……evil.
—————————————-
“Right” fumed Bobby Davidds, “what the hell was that all about”
“I…I..” Alex stumbled. He looked at his team manager and chief engineer sitting opposite him. They think I’ve gone a bit mad, maybe best to just keep quiet at the moment.
“What?”
“I don’t know Bobby. Maybe I’m just tired. I need to go have a rest”
“Listen, Alex, go see the doc.”
“I’m all right, really, just a bit tired I’ll be fine”
“I’m ordering you Alex. Go see the doctor for a check-up”
There wasn’t much more Alex could say, he was lucky he didn’t get a real roasting off of Bobby. On the way out he saw Sophie approach.
He waved wearily in her direction “hey”
“Hello you!” she smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “What happened?”
“I don’t know, here I have to go see the doctor, let’s walk that way”
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, just a checkup no problems”
He reached for her hand and she slipped it to him.
“Nice ring” he smiled, “a real rock. Who gave that to you?”
“Oh I don’t know” she smiled, “someone who should have known better than to give it to someone like me!”
They both grinned at that. When he’d gone down on one knee the day before to ask her to marry him, it was like a perfect culmination of a fairytale romance as far as both were concerned.
He reached the door of the medical centre.
“I can’t stay Alex, sorry” she said, “I’m going to meet my Papa”
“Right”. Alex knew that her ‘Papa’ was her grandfather, the only living relative Sophie had.
“Remember, we’re going to meet him for dinner tonight, I think I’ll stay with him all day, so you know how to get there?”
“Yeah, yeah I have it here”. He patted his breast pocket. “I could do with a nice relaxing evening”
She touched his forehead. “You do look very pale, do you feel sick?”
“I….look….you’re going to think me mad, I really haven’t…I haven’t told anyone else what happened out there”
“What??”
“I… I saw another car alongside me. But everyone says there was no other car on the track. It wasn’t a dream I saw it, I know I saw it.”
Sophie went pale.
“Are you alright?” he asked, reaching out to touch her.
She looked down at the ground. “I…yes.. I’ll be fine. Really”
“What did I say??”
“It’s … nothing”. She looked almost as if she was going to cry. “Just go see the doctor”
Alex looked at her in concern. “Ok. Don’t tell anyone I told you that, I’m sure it…well it couldn’t have been there. I’m sorry if I scared you, I didn’t..”
“No it’s ok, go in, follow me to my Papas, tonight around 7 ok?”.
“Right”
“Take care Alex, please just be careful”. She kissed him on the cheek and walked away.
That was odd thought Alex. Why had she got so upset when he told her what he had seen?
———————————————
Alex arrived at Sophies grandfathers house just before seven. Not bad at all he thought as he looked up at the house, Sophies grandfather had once been a formula 1 driver, and obviously had made a good living from it. He stepped out of the car, and grabbed the bottle of wine the team chef had recommended. “A cool crisp vintage, guaranteed to impress”. Wouldn’t do to upset what was left of the family you’re hoping to join he grinned.
He rang the doorbell, and Sophie opened. Alex drinked her in with one look “Hey beautiful, you look great”
“Thank you” she grinned. “Come on in”
Alex walked into the hallway and stood looking up at the chandeliers.
“You look impressed” said Sophie as she put her hand in the small of his back.
“I am, a bit Gothic, but that’s what you Italians like I guess”
“How did you get on at the doctor”
“Fine. He tells me I’m overstressed, but I’m a formula 1 driver he gets a lot of that”. Alex laughed.
Sophie smiled, but she didn’t seem to truly share his laughter. She looked slightly worried, but Alex didn’t comment.
Sophie led him into the sitting room. Her grandfather was seated in a large chair beside the log fire.
“Alex, this is my grandfather, Allesandro Gandolfo, Papa this is Alex”
Alex extended his hand to the old man, Sophie had told him he was well into his 90s.
“Mr Gandolfo, it’s a pleasure to meet you”
“The pleasure is all mine” said the old man taking his hand.”I hope you’ll be taking good care of my granddaughter”
“Oh don’t worry I will” said Alex
“If you don’t” said Allesandro, “I’ll chase you myself to let you feel the end of my stick!” He waved his stick playfully in the air. All three of them laughed at the scene, and Alex visibly relaxed. He already liked the old man.
“Let us eat!” said Allesandro.
“Wait Papa” said Sophie, “let Alex help you to the table. I’ll get the food”
“bah damn these legs of mine. To think these legs controlled the fastest cars in the world once!”
Alex smiled. “You have to tell me all about it Mr Gandolfo”
“Mr Gandalfo, bah, called me Allesandro”
That evening they feasted on wild pheasant. It helped that Sophie was a superb cook.
“Sophie, can you fetch my cigars and brandy please” said Allesandro.
“Oh you know they’ll be death of you Granda” teased Sophie as she fetched the box. “Alex, can you help Papa into the sitting room”
They all left the dinner table and walked into the sitting room, and sat down in three large seats in front of the fire. Allesandro passed around the brandy and cigars, Alex took a brandy and Sophie held her hand up to abstain.
“So Allesandro” said Alex “Sophie tells me you were a fantastic driver.
“Aaah Sophie exaggerates, I was merely a good driver. But I deserved my place on the grid. Sophie, can you reach for my photos please.”
Alex could see by the way his face had lit up that the old man loved talking about his racing exploits.
“I raced a Mercedes in the 1930s. I tell you, it was the greatest excitement a man could have. Except for a good woman of course” he winked at Sophie.
“I lost many friends of course, it wasn’t like today. In those days, tragedy was part of the sport, it was the sport in many ways. It was like you say in English” He turned to Sophie and said something in Italian.
“Soap Opera” said Sophie.
“Ahh yes soap opera, we were actors on an invisible stage”
Alex paged through the album. Beautiful cars racing in surroundings unbelievable to modern racers. Ordinary roads, crowds gathered on the side with no protection, drivers driving with little protection. He noticed one was signed ‘Allesandro’. It was a Mercedes, with a large number 4 on the side.
“Was this you?” asked Alex, showing the old man the picture.
“Yes!” smiled Allesandro, “that was me. I drove the most wonderful bright red Mercedes”
Alex continued to look through the book. He turned to the second last page. He suddenly become aware that Sophie was sitting on the edge of her seat, and he noticed that Grandfather Allesando appeared to be gripping the edge of his seat tightly.
Alex turned the page to the final photograph. It was a faded image of another Mercedes with a large number “7” on the side. The driver had a white silk scarf, and his goggles were wrapped around his neck.
Alex felt a cold chill grip him. It was difficult to make out from the photograph, but Alex was in no doubt what was looking at. This was the car, and the driver that had nearly killed him today.
“I…..I…saw”. He stopped and looked up at them both as they stared at him. He didn’t want to sound so ridiculous in front of Sophie and her grandfather.
“Nevermind”. He tried to smile.
“What did you see Alex” said Sophies grandfather in a quiet but firm voice.
Alex looked at him. Oh what the hell. “I saw this car today. I..I don’t think I was dreaming it. It felt real. I’m sorry I sound so silly”. Great start Alex, now her Grandfather thinks you’re a nut.
He looked towards Sophie. She was staring at him with a horrified expression on her face. She mouthed a quiet “No”, then turned away from him to bury her head in her hands and start to sob.
Her grandfather slumped back into his seat. He looked defeated. He rose up in his chair again. “That picture is Count Willhelm von Trap. I raced against him once. He died in 1936″
He looked directly into Alex’s eyes. “I was the one that killed him”
——————————————
Alex looked into the old mans eyes, and held his gaze. He killed him? The driver he saw? But he had never heard about this driver until now, how could he have seen him? Alex wasn’t the type to easily believe in anything he considered fantasy, like UFOs, fairies, or the ghosts of old racing drivers. He felt desperately uncomfortable.
“So…. uhhh.”. He sighed. What could he even begin to ask.
He looked at Allesandro, who had now turned his head towards the floor.
“Could I have the photos please”
Alex handed it to him.
Allesandro touched the photo of Count von Trap, and ran his fingers along the edge.
“It was his first Grand Prix. He was arrogant, terribly arrogant, nobody liked him, not a single person. He was convinced he was the very best, and he was going to show us all just how good he was. I hated him. I suppose I was jealous of him, he was very talented, and I was coming to the end of my career. He was the future, and I felt I deserved to have success more” He touched the picture of the driver.
“I started on pole. He started in second. He was unlucky in qualifying, a tyre had blown on the final straight. I beat him into the first corner, and led most of the race, but he put me under terrible pressure. I think if I had been behind him, he’d have disappeared off into the distance. When we entered the tunnel on the 5th lap, he was right behind me.”
He broke down slightly at that point, as his voice began to quiver
“He managed to get alongside of me coming out of the tunnel, and we were side by side down the straight. I knew he was going to beat me into Tabac corner, so I weaved to try and push him out of position. But….our wheels touched. He crashed heavily into the barrier, and his car was turned upside down. “
He paused again.
“The car was full of fuel, it was leaking everywhere. It….it… started to burn. I had come to a halt just past his car, and I could see him struggling to get out. His legs were broken, he couldn’t move. I remember the screams, the most horrible screams”
He started to sob lightly at that point. Sophie came over to sit on the edge of the chair, and wrapped her arms around him.
“I keep thinking back. Could I have done more, if it was someone else, not someone I hated, could I have done more to save him. I think I could, I could….. No-one deserved to die like that”
Sophie whispered to him “Papa, you couldn’t do any more, it was a racing accident, there was nothing you could do to save him, nothing”
“I don’t know, I don’t know, I’ve thought about it so many times”
There was a silence. Sophie looked up.
“He didn’t die, not fully. His body died, he was buried near his home, but some part of him still lived on…….still lives on. He never had the chance to prove he was the best. He is a spirit that only lives because of hatred”
Her grandfather looked up. “He….*it*…blames me, hates me. He’s been punishing me since that day. He’s killed everyone I ever loved, my wife, my two sons. He could have killed my granddaughter, the last person in the world left to me, but no, that would be too easy for me as far as he’s concerned. No, he lets Sophie live, and kills everyone she loves too. It’s his way to keep on punishing me, by making me responsible for Sophies unhappiness.”
Sophie hugged him tighter. She looked at Alex “We thought……I was engaged once before, I told you that. My fiancee was driving home one day when Von Trap appeared. My fiancee was nearly driven over a cliff. It was von Traps way of warning him, that the next time he would really die. We broke up, it wasn’t his fault, he was too scared.”
She looked at Alex. “Alex, I thought he was gone. That was eight years ago, I’d never seen him since. I thought…I hoped he had left us. I just wanted a second chance. I hoped”
“He will never leave us. I told you that” said her grandfather.
Allesandro turned to Alex. “He has warned you today. If you want to live you have only one choice, you have to leave Sophie.”
He held Sophies hand as hard as he could “I’m sorry Sophie, If I could do anything to end this you know I would.” He leaned his head towards her.
“He’s right, it’s the only way” said Sophie as she forced the words out of her, “you’re alive. You have to go, I love you I don’t want to see you hurt”
“I can’t do that!” said Alex
“But you must! He will kill you otherwise!”
“No! Damn it a ghost, whether he exists or not can’t hurt me!”. He couldn’t believe he was having a conversation like this, this is all beyond anything he’s ever experienced.
“He will”. She started to sob again “He will. I can’t see you hurt Alex, please, go.”
He stood up and went over to her. “No, no. I’d rather die than be apart from you. I’m not going to allow someone who died 70 ****ing years ago hurt you.”
“Please”
“No. Tomorrow I race, and I want you and Allesandro to be there to watch me. And if you don’t turn up I’ll follow you wherever you go. You’re going to be my wife”.
He smiled at her and touched the ring.
“I don’t need no little boy shows of bravado Alex. This is too serious”. Ouch “You have to..”
He cut her off. “Tomorrow, be there. I’ve already got you both tickets. We’ll get through this.”
He looked at them both. On the one hand he was scared, he wasn’t so much scared of Von Trap, but of this unknown world he had been thrown into. On the other hand, he couldn’t think of anything he more wanted to do than fight for the happiness of the woman he loved.
He felt a chill. It felt as if someone, some*thing* had just walked through him. He knew who it was. Alex tried to smile at Sophie and her grandfather, but deep down he knew he had a fear of something he didn’t know how to fight.
Alex accompanied Sophie and her grandfather to the track the next morning. They travelled most of the way in silence. It wasn’t through anger that they didn’t talk. Each of them felt concern - concern for each other, concern for their futures, and concern for what was going to happen that day.
“He’s going to try something today” said Alex, surprised at how certain he felt.
“How do you know?” asked Sophie.
“I just know, I can’t explain it”. But inside him he could explain it, he could feel von Trap, it was as if he was looking down on him and laughing at him. Alex felt drawn to where they would meet, and was powerless to prevent it.
They arrived at the track and were directed through to the paddock. Alex helped Sophie put Allesandro into his wheelchair, and they walked together into the Ferrari pit area.
“I’ve asked Bobby” said Alex, “and he’s agreed that you can stay in the garage with the mechanics during the race. I didn’t tell him why obviously” he laughed with very little humour “but he was ok with it anyway”.
Sophie nodded. “Papa are you happy with that?”
“Yes yes” said the old man impatiently. The old man looked genuinely excited at being back in a formula 1 garage.
Sophie whispered to Alex “Papa hasn’t attended a formula 1 race since von Traps death.”
“I didn’t realise” said Alex “didn’t even think of that!” He hesitated. “OK, I have to go now and get ready.”
Alex stood there feeling quite uncomfortable in front of Sophie. That fear and anxiety of the unknown left him unsure of exactly what his feelings were.
“Alex, I can leave….I know you said you want to do this, but I can, you don’t have to do this.”
“No, it’s…..I…..”. He paused. “I would never forgive myself if I left you go, I…I wouldn’t be able to look back and wonder whether nothing might have happened”
Sophie looked down at her feet. She felt like shouting at him and even hitting to tell him he was a fool, but it was obvious his mind was made up. She was going to be strong at this moment, because she knew how uncertain he felt.
“Remember I love you” she said, looking into his eyes “nothing can take that away.”
He nodded. Nothing more needed to be said.
They hugged each other tight for support, and when they finally broke away, Alex felt like he was no longer just a single man, but had the power and belief of two.
“I have to go”.
He turned and walked away. Easier to walk away quickly than to bear the emotion of a protracted goodbye.
“Alex!”
It was Bobby Davidd. “Bobby, hey”
“Alex, you know the plan yes? Take it easy for the first half of the race, conserve tyres and fuel. You run hard in the second half. You need to be in front after the second pitstops - it’s too hard to pass in here” he chuckled.
“I got it Bobby”
“Good man.”
Alex turned to walk away
“Alex?” Bobby called him “No funny business like yesterday.”
“No Bobby, I’m sorry that was a once off, won’t happen again”. Alex watched him walk away, hoping it was going to be a once off.
He felt that chill again. He’s here. This would be no once-off.
—————————————————————–
Alex sat strapped into his car. All around him, the rest of the grid were revving their engines in preparation for the start. He was trying to put von Trap out of his mind. Stupid Alex, ghosts don’t exist, this is all stupid. Concentrate concentrate. Think - think of the start sequence. 4 seconds then into the corner. Gotta block the Williams behind him, watch those mirrors.
Red lights on. Ready
Go! Alex hit the start sequence on his steering wheel, and his Ferrari jumped forward off the grid. Over his shoulder a Williams lunged for the inside. Alex gave him just enough room to squeeze through, but there was no way he was going to beat Alex who was on the outside going into Saint Devote. Right into Saint Devote, and he was away after avoiding the carnage that is the typical Monaco start. He had held fourth which was his grid position.
The rest of the race was eventful. The leader had suffered gearbox problems from an early stage, and because of how tight the track at Monaco is, no-one had so far managed to pass him. Alex had spent his race in a train of cars, continuously probing the driver in front of him, and fending off attacks from those behind him. By now he was in third.
Bobby came on the radio “Alex, pit this lap, pit this lap. It looks like 1 and 2 are going to pit also, hit those lines man or we’re in trouble”
“Pit this lap roger” said Alex.
He hugged the back of the second placed McLaren, and sure enough, the McLaren, and the Benetton at the front entered the pit road.
Relax, Alex thought to himself. Hit the lines, do it smoothly, just relax.
He hit the lines perfectly, and he was thrown from side to side as the mechanics went to work on his car. He stared at the lollipop man, and readied his getaway. The car dropped, the lollipop rose and he was away! He passed the McLaren, which was still in it’s blocks, the Benetton went to pull out……..but it stalled!, gearbox problems appearing to have finally got the better of it.
Alex roared out of the pit exit, and even through the noise of the engine he could hear the crowd cheering.
First!
The laps after this were a blur, he was in the lead, he had no mechanical problems, he concentrated on building up a smooth rhythm which would see him all the way to the finish.
On his final lap, he turned into the tunnel, and mentally counted the gears as he flicked the paddle on the side of the steering wheel. Third, Fourth, Fifth, hold, Sixth, hold a bit more, ready for Seventh here we go..
He felt an intense chill. It jolted him out of his racing hypnosis and back into reality. What the hell? He looked to the left as he saw the 1930s Mercedes approach from the left. It only took a millisecond, but it felt like an age before he realised what he was looking at. So everything he had gone through before this race wasn’t a dream, the nightmare was starting again.
This time the car didn’t pull in front of him. It continued to drive sideways to hit him. He had nowhere to go, he was doing 200mph, and had no room to his right. Von Trap’s right wheel moved towards his left wheel, and if they touched, Alex would crash - heavily. He stared at the approaching wheel, as if he was transfixed and had no means of stopping what was about to happen.
The wheels touched! Alex braced for the inevitable crash. But, wait, von Trap’s wheel just melted through Alex’s, and his car continued to move in without any collision.
Alex felt a wave of euphoria. You can’t touch me! You’re a ghost, you have no physical presence. He felt like laughing deliriously, he felt triumphant.
He could see von Trap very clearly now, his face was only a foot or two from Alex, his car covering half of the Ferrari. Alex entered the chicane, rounded the corner. “I can do this, you can’t touch me” he shouted. This was a wave of relief.
von Trap continued moved to the right. Alex felt an icy cold chill, the likes of which he had never felt before. It was as if an icy hand had grabbed hold of the inside of his chest. He couldn’t move. He felt frozen. He could see his hands still holding the steering wheel, he could feel his feet pressing the accelerator. It was if he was a spectator looking at an in-car camera. ‘No’ he mouthed. The corner at Tabac loomed, and von Trap had control of his car.
This was where von Trap had died, and Alex could see his own future - he was going to die at the same spot. The car hurtled towards the corner, and all Alex could do was scream into his helmet.
Everyone says that when you face death, your whole life flashes in front of you. For Alex, it wasn’t the past, but what he was losing from his future that flashed past - Sophie, his racing, the rest of his life. He felt strangely relaxed.
The chill moved. Alex jumped. He definitely felt the chill move. It shifted.
He looked left, a bright red Mercedes with a large number “4″ had appeared alongside him. It was unmistakable - it was the Mercedes Sophies grandfather had driven 64 years earlier. The driver was the same driver in the photograph too, it was a young Allesandro Gandolfo.
The chill seemed to jump and leave Alex. von Trap reappeared in his car in front of Alex. He raced alongside Gandolfo and they both hurtled towards the corner. Alex had control again of his own car.
Gandolfo weaved towards von Trap. von Trap jinked to the right.
“Give way von Trap give way” thought Alex.
The left hander at Tabac loomed. 64 years ago, neither driver had given way. One had died because of it.
von Trap gave way this time. He appeared to hesitate, and Gandalfo stopped weaving. But von Trap lunged forward and swept around the outside of the red Mercedes into the lead!
Alex was transfixed on the battle in front of him. Suddenly, the barriers around his car melted away, the whole scene seemed to dissolve. There were now haybales on the side of the road, there were crowds of people in 1930s clothing standing right on the edge of the road cheering the cars on. There was no advertising hoardings, there was no stands. Alex was a participant in a world long gone.
The two Mercedes were weaving all over the track as Gandalfo tried to pressurise von Trap into an error. Left, right, down the inside, brake, cut off. Try again this time alongside, again cut off by von Trap.
They rounded the final corner and entered the straight. Alex could see the chequered flag being held up by a man on the finish line. The noise from the crowd seemed to be crowding in on him.
von Trap raced for the line. Gandolfo pulled up behind him and dived for the inside. The flag came down. von Trap wins! He punched the air with his fist, he drinked in the roar of the crowd, he was the best, the very best there was, he had done it. Von Trap stood up in the cockpit and waved to the crowds, Allesandra Gandolfo pulled up beside him and…………………
“Alex, alex, you’re the man you’re the man”. Alex jumped as Bobby Davidd was roaring into his ear over the pit radio. “Way to go Alex, good win good win”
Alex looked around. The mechanics holding the flags were waving at him, the advertising hoardings were there, the red and white armcos. The McLaren driver came alongside him and gave him the thumbs up sign. Alex had won. He was too exhausted, too confused, too amazed at what he had seen to even acknowledge the driver or the crowd.
He drove back to the pits in silence. He stood out of the car in the parc ferme, and Bobby came over to him. “Congratulations Alex.” he shook his hand. “But you have to come with me - you have to go see Sophie”. Bobby led him towards the medical center.
Alex looked at him “Sophie, is she alright!?”
“Sophies fine Alex, her grandfather.” Bobby paused. He didn’t finish the answer.
Alex went into the Medical Center. One of the nurses pointed him towards a room. He walked in to find Sophie sitting at a bed. He could see she had been crying. Allesandro was lying in the bed.
Sophie looked at Alex. “Papa’s dead”
Alex moved to the side of the bed and looked at him. “When, how?”
“He collapsed just after the race start. He was lying on the floor, and he….he just said something about having one last duty to do… I don’t know what he was saying. He just slipped away”.
She looked down at her grandfather.
“He saved my life Sophie” said Alex “he died…. and..” this was all too absurd, but he had seen it all happen himself “he died because it was the only way we could live.”
Sophie looked at him. “I don’t really understand Alex, but something seems to have changed. I’ve always felt this, this chill like icy fingers on my heart. It’s not there anymore”.
They both looked at each other.
———————————
Monday morning and the cars were back out on Monaco’s busy streets. Few took much notice of the couple standing at Tabac corner, a woman carrying some flowers, and the man with his arm around her.
Sophie layed the flowers on the side of the corner.
“Do you really think von Trap was evil?” asked Alex.
“I don’t know” answered Sophie “he…he stayed human, he had feelings, they were more powerful than he was.”
“I think your grandfather would have liked this, he never forgave himself for von Traps death.”
He looked at Sophie. “Do you think your grandfather gave him that win?”
“Not Papa! He could never have done that. He’d put him into the barrier a second time rather than give way!”
It was wrong to laugh, but they both did.
“He was all I had left” said Sophie lowering her head “I’ve no-one left now”
“You have someone, you have me” said Alex “I’m everything now”. He smiled.
She didn’t look so sure.
“Oh come on piccolo” said Alex “let’s go, we’ve got a marriage to arrange”
“What did you call me?”
“ehh…piccolo?”
“Yes - where did you learn that word?”
“I don’t know”. Alex looked confused. “It just seemed to pop into my head”
Sophie looked at him. “It’s an Italian word for a kid, it’s a very old word. Papa used to call me that when I was small”
She held him by the shoulders and stared at him, as if trying to see right into his soul. It seemed to last for an eternity.
“mmmmmm, maybe I haven’t really lost anyone. “
1 comment October 31st, 2006
