The road was dark he could not see that much. Only moonlight lighting his path in front. His feet were wet, socks soggy.

“Calm down Frank, stop the car and let’s talk” Rose pleaded. Frank sighed and pulled the car off the road. Waiting for the bombardment that was sure to come from his wife.

“We can’t continue like this, you tried to punch your son. You drink and you drive, You can’t even be proud of your son for what he has achieved” “He didn’t achieve anything,  he didn’t win” “What does it matter if he won or not, we are his parents,  we should support him and be proud of him for whatever he achieves or not”

“He said he wants to leave, I can’t have my baby leave me, not like that” “If you didn’t molly cuddle him all the time” “Well if you was a better father to him” she snapped. Frank started the car, fed up of the conversation.

“Do what you always do Frank, block me out, you know I’m right” He span the tyres again and the Mercedes sped off. “Slow down Frank” she shouted! He took a right, then continued a few miles before taking a left.

“You know if Paul does leave the house that I won’t stay,  I will go to if you don’t make things up with him” her voice so stern. Frank said nothing. He just stared at the road. Rain pouring down on the windscreen.

Frank was quietly crying to himself, Rose’s words had wounded him as if she had plunged a knife through his heart. He couldn’t imagine being without her. She cancelled out everything that was imperfect about him.

“You make this right, you make this right” she uttered.

“FRANK, LOOKOUT” Frank saw at the last moment and spun the wheel to swerve, narrowly missing the figure in the road. He tried to control the car by going the other way but the car was already off the road.

The car was rolling down the hill, Frank was breaking but it was too wet. In a couple of seconds the car hit a massive tree head on, the air bags exploding outwards but the damage was already done.

The windscreen had shattered, glass everywhere. The only noise coming from the car was horn.

Copyright © Philip Lister 2021